For more information about this rating please visit: http://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/blonde-ray.php
How we worked out this Rating
Stock status
The size and health of a fish population, or 'stock', that is being targeted by fishermen is a crucial indicator of whether a fishery is sustainable. If the stock is too small to withstand fishing, it is at risk of crashing. We look at how big the stock is, and how much pressure there is from fishing, to assess this. The target level that many fisheries aim for is 'Maximum Sustainable Yield' - the most fish that can be caught year after year whilst keeping the population at a healthy size.
There is concern for the biomass of blonde ray in the Western English Channel, and concern for the fishing pressure.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of reference points for biomass and fishing pressure. Blonde ray is considered to have a low resilience to fishing pressure.Blonde ray in the Irish Sea, Bristol Channel and North Celtic Sea have a patchy distribution, and it is locally abundant in certain areas, including off southwest Ireland. A patchy distribution makes it difficult for scientists to interpret survey data, and its tendency to form aggregations makes it vulnerable to localised depletion. As very little is known about the biomass in this area, there is concern for the biomass.Blonde ray is an important commercial species, however, the quality of landings data is considered too poor to create stock assessments. Misidentification also occurs between blonde ray and spotted ray and this could impact the accuracy of landings data. Blonde ray is a bycatch species in demersal fisheries but it may also be targeted in areas of high local abundance due to its large size and high market value.ICES advises that when the precautionary approach is applied, landings should be no more than 573 tonnes in each of the years 2023 and 2024. This is a 20% decrease from the advice for 2021 and 2022 because the precautionary buffer has been applied.Landings in recent years have greatly exceeded the advice given by ICES (by over 200%) and therefore, there is concern for fishing pressure.
Management
Good management is vital to be sure that fishing doesn't cause fish populations to decline. We look at whether regulations follow the best available scientific advice, how well compliance is monitored and enforced, and whether this is effective in maintaining healthy fish stocks.
For more information about this rating please visit: http://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/blonde-ray.php
Capture method
Environmental impacts of fishing vary hugely, depending on the method used and where it's happening. We look at whether the fishing gear being used could have an effect on seabed habitats, and if so, how severe might this be. We also review whether it catches any other species by accident (bycatch), and what effect this might have on those species - especially if they're Endangered, Threatened, or Protected.
For more information about this rating please visit: http://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/blonde-ray.php
