TV chef Rick Stein has apologised for telling viewers they should eat more pike.

The PAC responded immediately when he featured a pike recipe in his programme Rick Stein’s French Odyssey.

The show had featured no warning about conserving the species and the PAC feared it could encourage more people to kill pike for the table after Mr Stein questioned why pike were not eaten more regularly in England.

In a brief e-mail earlier today, Mr Stein apologised for the commentary accompanying the item.

“Sorry about the mention of eating more pike,” he said. “I will be more careful in future.”

A PAC spokesman said: “While we can’t stop people taking the occasional fish for the table, we are pleased to see a high-profile TV chef like Rick Stein promise to be more considerate in future.

“After campaigning against the wholesale slaughter of pike for the table in Ireland and winning restrictions on the size and number of fish which may be taken, we believe any call for pike to be more widely eaten should be balanced with the case for sustainable fishing, particularly not removing larger fish.”