27 - Atlantic, Northeast,
7: Irish Sea, Porcupine Bank, English Channel, Bristol Channel, Celtic Seas, West and Southwest of Ireland,
6: Rockall, West of Scotland
Caught by
Pot, trap or creel
Rating summary
For more information about this rating please visit: http://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/bull-huss-nursehound.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.
Nursehound in this area are data limited, with low resilience to fishing pressure. However, there is currently no concern for fishing pressure or biomass.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating due to the lack of reference points. The most recent assessment was published in 2025 by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). This species is also known as the greater-spotted dogfish, which is a catshark species. All catsharks are primarily taken as bycatch, but larger individuals may be used for human consumption, while smaller individuals are often used as bait in potting fisheries.Nursehound has a low resilience to fishing pressure. Despite landings showing an upward trend since 2012, increasing 225 tonnes to 694 tonnes in 2024, fishing pressure remains below the FMSY proxy. As such, there is currently no concern for fishing pressure.Stock size is monitored using a biomass index – Itrigger. Although biomass has fluctuated since the start of the timeseries in 1997, it surpassed Itrigger (0.54) in 2003 and has remained above this threshold since. Since 2008, stock size has shown a general upward trend. This trend is shown in biomass indices: Index A (mean of 2023-2024) is 1.47, compared with Index B (mean of 2021-2022) at 1.35. As the stock is increasing and remains above Itrigger, there is no concern for biomass.ICES advice on landings follows the MSY approach. It is determined from the most recent advised landings (from 2025), adjusted by several factors: the ratio of Index A to Index B, the ratio of observed mean catch length to target mean catch length, a biomass safeguard, and a precautionary multiplier. As a result, advised landings increased by 11% from 682 tonnes in 2025 to 758 tonnes for both 2026 and 2027. Discard rates remain unquantified.
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/bull-huss-nursehound.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/bull-huss-nursehound.php
