European anchovy

There is no concern for the biomass of European anchovy in the Bay of Biscay, and no concern for fishing pressure.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of a reference point for fishing pressure. European anchovy is considered to have medium resilience to fishing pressure.Stock assessments are carried out annually by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The most recent stock assessment was published in 2025 using data up to 2025. The next assessment is expected in 2026.The stock assessment defines reference points for fishing pressure (F) and biomass (B). For fishing pressure, there is a target to keep F at or below Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). For biomass, there is no target. However, there is a trigger point (MSY Itrigger). Below this level, F should be reduced to allow the stock to increase.The spawning‑stock biomass (SSB) has remained above both the limit reference point (Blim: 26,000 t) and the precautionary reference point (Bpa: 43,600 t) since 2011. Biomass peaked at 146,770 t in 2021 and was estimated at 119,768 t in 2025, staying well above the management plan reference points (SSBmgt: 24,000 t lower trigger; 89,000 t upper trigger). Recruitment has generally been above the long‑term average since 2010, although it fell considerably below average in 2024 before being projected to improve again in 2025. Overall, with biomass consistently above all reference points, there is currently no concern for biomass.No reference points for fishing mortality have been established for this stock. However, fishing pressure has remained below the long‑term average since the fishery reopened in 2010, and catches have stayed at or below recommended levels since 2016. Therefore, there is currently no concern for fishing pressure.ICES advises that when the EU management strategy is applied, catches in 2026 should be no more than 33,000 tonnes. This is an 8% increase from the 2025 advice due to high recruitment in 2025.

Appropriate management measures are in place for Bay of Biscay anchovy, including a precautionary harvest control rule. Quotas and catches follow scientific advice, but the lack of reference points for assessing fishing pressure means concerns may not always be identified.European anchovy inhabiting the Atlantic waters were separated into two distinct stock units: the Bay of Biscay (subdivision 8), and Atlantic Iberian waters, (subdivision 9.a). This rating covers European Anchovy caught in the Bay of Biscay.An EU management plan is in place for this stock. Harvest control rules were evaluated in 2013-14, and ICES has provided advice based on these rules in 2015 and 2016. The harvest control rule adopted in 2016 was considered precautionary by ICES. Most catch is by Spain (90%) followed by France (10%). However, these percentages may be modified due to bilateral agreements between countries.A new stock assessment model was introduced during the 2024 benchmarking, so the performance of the management plan is being re‑evaluated based on the updated population dynamics and forecasts. This full review is underway and is expected to be completed in 2026.The main management measure for this stock is an annually set Total Allowable Catch (TAC), determined using the 2016 harvest control rule. The TAC is set at zero when spawning biomass falls below the lower trigger point, and at 33,000 tonnes when biomass exceeds the upper trigger (89,000t).TACs have been set in line with scientific advice since 2017 and catches have been consistently below TACs and advice since 2016. In 2025, TAC's were set in line with advice at 30,663 tonnes and the primarily catch (29,805t) was 3% below advice. Therefore, management is following scientific advice.Other management measures include a minimum conservation reference size of 12 cm (or 90 fish per kg), with up to 10% of the catch allowed below this size. Management also includes rules on gear and vessel specifications, as well as spatial and seasonal closures.Fishing cannot currently be assessed against reference points, which limits the ability to identify and respond to potential concerns about fishing pressure. This poses an ongoing risk. The stock is also caught in very small quantities in ICES Subarea 7 (less than 2% of total catches), which should be considered in management.Discarding is considered negligible.The EU and UK both have fishery management measures, which can include catch limits, population targets, and gear restrictions. However, compliance in the EU and UK has been inconsistent, with ongoing challenges in implementing some regulations. The goal of reaching Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) by 2020 was missed, with less than half of UK TACs in 2024 following ICES advice. In 2024, the EU and UK reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable fisheries by aligning management with scientific advice to gradually approach MSY. However, no new target date has been set for achieving MSY across all fisheries. The Landing Obligation (LO), an EU law retained by the UK post-Brexit, requires all quota fish to be landed, even if unwanted (over-quota or below minimum size). It aims to encourage more selective fishing methods, reduce bycatch, and improve catch reporting. However, compliance is poor, and accurate discard levels are hard to quantify with current monitoring programmes. The UK is in the process of replacing the LO with country-specific Catching Policies.The Marine Conservation Society views Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) with cameras is one of the most cost-effective tools for providing reliable fisheries data and aiding informed management decisions. Fully monitored fisheries enhance collaboration, data accuracy, stock recovery, and reduce impacts on marine wildlife and habitats. However, the full potential of REM may only be achieved when it tracks fishing location and documents catch and bycatch, particularly where vulnerable species and habitats are at risk. As of January 2024, the EU is introducing a Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) mandate for EU vessels, including CCTV cameras on vessels 18m or more that pose a potential risk of non-compliance, within the next 4 years. Across the UK, different approaches to REM are being taken and legislation is expected to be in place across all 4 countries within the next few years.The Fisheries Act (2020) requires the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) (replacing EU Multi-Annual Plans) in the UK. 43 FMPs have been proposed and are at various stages of development and implementation, these should all be published by the end of 2028. FMPs have the potential to be very important tools for managing UK fisheries, although data limitations may delay them for some stocks. It is also essential the UK governments define and adopt a standardised approach or model across the four nations to a universally defined FMP design, to ensure the consistence, quality and coherence of all the proposal FMPs.The Marine Conservation Society is keen to see publicly available Fishery Management Plans for all commercially exploited stocks, especially where stocks are depleted, that include:An overview of the fishery including current stock status, spatial coverage, current fishing methods and impactsTargets for fishing pressure and biomass, and additional management when those targets are not being met, based on the best scientific evidenceTimeframes for stock recoveryImproved data collection, transparency, and accountability, supported by technologies such as Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM)Consideration of wider environmental impacts of the fishery, including habitat impacts and minimising bycatchStakeholder engagement

European anchovy is predominantly caught by purse seiners in the Bay of Biscay. Bycatch is low and habitat impacts are unlikely in this fishery.The anchovy stock has been fished by Spanish and French fleets since the 1940s and is now taken almost entirely by purse‑seiners (99.6% of 2025 catches), with pelagic trawlers accounting for only 0.4%. Purse seines are highly selective and have very low bycatch; ecosystem impacts are mainly linked to removing anchovy from the food web rather than gear effects.Anchovy is targeted with seine nets at depths of 80-550 m, and purse‑seiners rarely contact the seafloor. To protect coastal habitats, they may only operate in waters deeper than 35 m and are prohibited from sensitive areas such as the Zumaia biotope. Operations generally occur offshore over sandy bottoms with no vulnerable habitats.Bycatch of non‑target species is low and mainly limited to small amounts of other pelagic fish such as mackerel, sardine and horse mackerel. Interactions with Endangered, Threatened or Protected (ETP) species, including occasional cetacean bycatch, are very rare, and observer data and recent research indicate a low overall impact. When marine mammals are unintentionally encircled, they are generally released alive using slipping techniques, and fishers minimise gear contact to avoid damaging nets.The fishery has also recorded infrequent interactions with seabirds, sharks, turtles and rays. Continued improvements in monitoring, recording and reporting of ETP interactions are needed to better understand and manage any remaining risks.The main ecological concern is the large‑scale removal of anchovy, a key prey species for many fish, seabirds and marine mammals in the Bay of Biscay. The broader ecosystem effects of reducing this important forage species remain poorly understood.To improve monitoring and reporting of fishing activity, Marine Conservation Society would like to see remote electronic monitoring (REM) with cameras implemented, used and enforced. To reduce the impacts of fishing on the marine environment we would like to see a just transition to the complete removal of bottom towed gear from offshore Marine Protected Areas designated to protect the seabed. We also want to see reduction and mitigation of environmental impacts including emissions and blue carbon habitat damage.