Shipyards boasted of operating since 1684. As late as the 1980s, the cod were so abundant and large (30-50lb each) that the fishermen still brought in big hauls. Cod remains the state fish of Massachusetts. ... See more

Scientists and fishers agree that cod fishery is at a crisis point – but they disagree on what’s causing it

By “newt-counting” Johnson is nodding to the EU’s Habitats Directive, which sees countries under EU and UK law obliged to offer protection to the most regal of newts, the great crested newt. This means that its habitats (ponds, mostly) require protection from those eager to demolish them to make way for other things, and, in some cases, the requirement that new ponds be dug for them if this is not possible. To gauge whether great crested newts may or may not be present on a site before any building takes place, a survey is sometimes undertaken – newts are “counted” in Johnson-speak.

At this point, you may find yourself duty-bound to tell me some things you think you know about newts and other threatened species (such as bats) that apparently hamper the economic growth of our country. You’ll tell me that newts slow down the speed at which housing developments can be built, leaving people in the hands of rented accommodation for longer. You’ll tell me that great crested newts can be quite common locally in parts of Britain, unlike in the rest of Europe, but we have to protect them because of some arcane EU law. You’ll tell me that they add thousands of pounds to the (cash-strapped) developer’s bill. ... See more

The PM says counting these protected amphibians is a barrier to economic recovery. But there’s room in the pond for both, says the zoologist Jules Howard