27 - Atlantic, Northeast,
7: Irish Sea, Porcupine Bank, English Channel, Bristol Channel, Celtic Seas, West and Southwest of Ireland
Caught by
Bottom trawl (otter)
Rating summary
For more information about this rating please visit: https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/bib-or-pouting.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.
Pouting, or bib, is a very data limited species. There are no stock assessments, but recent studies indicate that the population may be declining. However, it is a low-value fish and is mainly caught as bycatch, so it would appear the fishing pressure is not of concern.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating due to lack of reference points for biomass and fishing mortality. Pouting is considered to have a medium resilience to fishing.Pouting can be found throughout the coasts of the Northeast Atlantic, but stock structures are not well known. According to ICES catch data, 47% of pouting catches from 2006-2021 were from ICES area 7 (Celtic and Irish Seas and Bristol and English Channel). Almost all of them came from the English Channel (areas 7e and 7d). From 2006-2014 catches averaged around 5,350 tonnes, but were lower from 2015-2021, averaging around 3,700 tonnes. Between 2006 and 2021, around 30% of catches were from area 9 (Portuguese Waters), averaging 2,970 tonnes, and 20% from area 8 (Bay of Biscay), averaging 2,040 tonnes. The remaining 3% was from the North Sea, averaging 310 tonnes.A 2020 study attempted to estimate stock status of a number of data limited stocks from relative abundance (e.g. catch-per-unit-effort) and resilience (based on FishBase assessments). Based on data from 1983-2017, it was estimated that the ratio of North Sea pouting Biomass (B) to BMSY was 0.32, with estimates ranging between 0.18 and 0.58, indicating that the stock is very likely to be in a overfished state. Several studies on English Channel species indicate that pouting abundance in the English Channel has decreased since the 1990s. Abundance of the Portuguese population is also estimated to be decreasing. This indicates that there is concern for pouting abundance throughout its range.The level of fishing pressure is far more difficult to ascertain. For North Sea pouting, the ratio of Fishing Pressure (F) to FMSY has been estimated at 1.8, so this stock may be subject to overfishing, but there is a high level of uncertainty (the range of F:FMSY was 0.46 - 3.83). In the Basque demersal fishery (Bay of Biscay), pouting has been classed as a high-importance, high-risk fishery. However, in the Celtic Seas and English Channel, it is mainly caught as bycatch in the cod, haddock and saithe trawl fisheries, and there is no targeted fishery. It is therefore difficult to assess whether there is concern for fishing pressure.In the Basque fishery in the Bay of Biscay (ICES area 8), pouting is valued at 1.82 Euro/kg (approx. £1.63). In the UK, UK fleets landed on average of 700 tonnes per year between 2018 and 2022, valued at £135,000 overall, which makes the value approximately £0.26/kg. As a low-value, non-target fishery, and with landings decreasing, it seems likely that fishing pressure is not of concern. The lack of discard and recreational catch data add additional uncertainty. From 2002-2005, pouting was the 8th most discarded species in the beam trawl fleet in area 7. Discard survival rates of pouting are very low.
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/bib-or-pouting.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/bib-or-pouting.php
