For more information about this rating please visit: https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/plaice.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 biomass and fishing pressure of plaice in the Celtic Sea and Bristol Channel.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of reference points available for biomass and fishing pressure. Plaice is considered to have medium resilience to fishing pressure.The biomass index shows a decline since a peak in 2015. The most recent biomass biomass index value (Index A, 2022-2023) is 36kg/100km, a decline from the previous biomass index value (Index B, 2019-2021), which was 64kg/100m. The index is now below Itrigger.Fishing pressure proxy from the length-based indicator (LBI) method is used for the evaluation of the exploitation status. The proxy fishing pressure is above the corresponding FMSY proxy when the indicator is higher than 1. In 2023, the fishing pressure proxy was 1.08. Therefore, there is concern for fishing pressure. ICES advises that when the MSY approach is applied, catches should be no more than 114 tonnes in each of the years 2025 and 2026. This is a decrease of 72% compared to the previous years advice, due to the continued declining trend in recent stock biomass. Fishing pressure proxy being above FMSY proxy has also contributed to the decline in advice.
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: https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/plaice.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: https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/plaice.php
