Nursehound

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.

Nursehound is a vulnerable species and management must be precautionary. There is currently no total allowable catch (TAC) or minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) in place in this area.Demersal elasmobranchs in this area are usually caught as bycatch in the mixed demersal fisheries for roundfish and flatfish. Nursehound is bycaught in trawls and gillnets.There are no management measures in place and no TAC set. As there is no TAC in place, they are exempt from the landing obligation and can be discarded. It is assumed that survival of this shallow water species may be similar to lesser spotted dogfish which has been shown to have a survival rate as high as 90% across different gear types. There is also no official MCRS in place, so juveniles may also be landed.Nursehound is listed as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List for Europe, with populations showing a declining trend. This decline is believed to result from low connectivity between discrete populations across its range, which limits reproduction and reduces the species’ capacity for recovery. As such, effective management of this fishery is essential. However, quotas alone may be insufficient due to issues such as discarding and the lack of comprehensive data on the species.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

Gillnets in this area can encounter bycatch of non-target fish, mammals and birds, including ETP species. However, this gear type has minimal impact on the seabed.In 2024, around 11% of landings came from ‘other gear', including nets. Although the exact volume of discards remains uncertain, survival rates are estimated to be similar to lesser-spotted dogfish, at around 90% across most gear types.Bycatch data for many UK and EU fisheries remains limited due to poor monitoring. However, fixed and drift nets can have high levels of bycatch, including endangered, threatened, and protected (ETP) species. This includes marine mammals (harbour porpoises, grey seals, and common dolphins), seabirds (common guillemot), and elasmobranchs (spurdog, the common skate complex, porbeagles, and angle sharks).Harbour porpoises are included on OSPAR’s List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats for the Greater North Sea and Celtic Seas, due to documented population declines and the ongoing threat of being bycaught. They are also considered a priority species under UK and EU law, under which there are explicit bycatch requirements. In the Celtic Seas ecoregion, annual bycatch rates of harbour porpoise are estimated at around 27 individuals annually in trammel nets. Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs), such as pingers, have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing harbour porpoise bycatch in gillnets. However, their deployment is inconsistent, and their efficacy is unknown for other species.Alongside cetaceans, elasmobranchs, seals, and seabirds are also at risk of gillnet bycatch. Reported captures include ray species, guillemots, and northern fulmars (listed as Vulnerable in Europe). Although bird scarers have been shown to reduce seabird bycatch, the use of these deterrents remains undocumented.In UK waters, mesh size regulations for gill, trammel, and drift nets (maximum 110 mm) are intended to allow juvenile roundfish and flatfish to escape capture. However, nursehound is not a common commercial target and reaches maturity at around 80 cm. As a result, these mesh requirements are not designed for conservation of this species, and the meshes are likely too small to prevent the capture of juvenile nursehound. This poses a risk to reproductive capacity and long‑term stock stability.Contact between nets and the seabed is limited to very light contact from the footrope and minimal contact from the small anchors at each end. As the gear is not towed over the seabed there should be very little abrasion.Nylon nets, if lost, can continue to fish for several weeks before becoming tangled and bundled up, a phenomenon known as 'ghost fishing'. However, static nets, as with all gear, represent an investment by fishermen, and therefore there are incentives to avoid losing or damaging gear.To improve monitoring and reporting of fishing activity, MCS would like to see remote electronic monitoring (REM) with cameras implemented, used and enforced.