Black bream

Black bream is a data limited species in the English Channel. There is concern for the biomass, but no concern for fishing pressure.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating due to the absence of a stock assessment and biomass reference points. Black bream in the English Channel is considered to have medium resilience to fishing pressure, but their stock status remains unknown. Although black bream abundance along the south UK coast and in the southern North Sea has increased over the past century, this is more likely a result of climate-driven range shifts with rising sea temperatures rather than genuine stock growth.Black bream is vulnerable due to its life history. During the spawning season, from April to July, adults form inshore aggregations and seek out specific habitats – level bedrock with a thin layer of gravel or sand – to form nests. These nests are sensitive to disturbance, and habitat degradation can negatively impact recruitment. There is also evidence of nest site fidelity in black bream, meaning adults return to the same spawning areas annually. This behaviour leads to spatial structuring and a basis for genetic differentiation within the English Channel population. As a result, there is an increased risk of local depletion and potential loss of niche adaptations, especially as fishing effort is greatest during the spawning season.Black bream are also protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning all individuals are born female and transition to male at a certain size and age. Fishing pressure is skewed towards larger males, yet these mature males are crucial in black bream reproduction as they guard nests of fertilised eggs. Their removal can reduce recruitment by leaving eggs vulnerable to predators and smothering. Given these vulnerabilities and the lack of biomass indicators, there is concern for black bream biomass in the English Channel.Black bream are caught by both commercial and recreational fisheries. In 2023, approximately 491 tonnes were captured cross the UK, with 36% landed by commercial vessels, 23% kept by recreational fishers, and 41% returned by recreational fishers. Recreational removals in 2023 were estimated at 114 tonnes, slightly above the 2016-2023 average of 102 tonnes, but below the 2021 peak of 133 tonnes. Over this period, an average of 63.6% of recreationally-caught fish were released, and the remainder removed. Commercial landings have varied between 2019 and 2023, with a recent peak of 179 tonnes in 2023, well above the five-year average of 123 tonnes. However, since 2018, most landings of ‘black sea bream’ have been grouped into the category of ‘sea breams’, which includes other species and may be responsible for the apparent increase in landings. Although black bream is not a major commercial species, high market prices for sea breams (£22-45/kg) create an economic incentive to target this non-TAC (Total Allowable Catch) species. Despite these pressures, there is currently no evidence to suggest that black bream is overfished, and given their medium resilience to fishing, fishing pressure is not currently considered a concern.

There are some appropriate management measures in place for black bream landed within the Sussex IFCA district. These include a minimum landing size, protection as a ‘designated feature’ of a Marine Conservation Zone, and indirect protection through a trawling byelaw.There is little management of black bream within the English Channel. It is not subject to a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and there is no national minimum landing size (MLS).In the Sussex IFCA district, black bream is subject to management measures implemented by both the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Sussex IFCA. Under MMO regulations for ICES area 7d, demersal seines must adhere to a minimum mesh size of 100mm. These mesh size rules are designed to protect juvenile black bream, among other species, by allowing smaller individuals to escape.Although black bream is a minor commercial species, it is highly prized by recreational anglers, and effective management must address both sectors. Across the Sussex IFCA district, a Minimum Landing Size (MLS) of 230mm is enforced to protect black bream stocks through ensuring individuals have the opportunity to reproduce at least once.Additional management is included through the Kingmere Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), designated to protect important species and habitats, known as ‘designated features’, including black bream. The Kingmere MCZ is thought to be one of the most important breeding grounds for black bream in UK coastal waters. To protect this vulnerable life stage, specific management measures apply to both commercial and recreational activities.During the spawning season (1st April to 30th June):Angling is prohibited in Zone 1, with a bag limit of four bream per person in Zones 2, 3 and 4.Potting, lining, and dive gathering are prohibited in Zones 1 and 2, but allowed in Zones 3 and 4 with no retention of bream.Towed gears and netting are prohibited across all Zones.Outside of the spawning season (1st July to 31st March):Angling allowed in all Zones with a bag limit of four bream per person.Potting, lining, dive gathering and netting allowed in all Zones, with no bag limits.Towed gears are prohibited in Zones 1, 2, and 4, but allowed in Zone 3 with no bag limit.These measures are designed to minimise disturbance during critical spawning and nesting periods, especially in Zone 1, where the majority of nests are located.In addition to protections within the Kingmere MCZ, black bream also benefits from the Nearshore Trawling Byelaw, introduced in 2019. This byelaw prohibits the use of trawling gear, including demersal seines, year-round within nearshore waters. This helps to protect key habitats used by black bream and reduces fishing mortality from demersal seining within these areas.There is also a voluntary Code of Conduct for recreational angling within the Kingmere MCZ. This encourages responsible fishing practices, such as handling fish with care, adhering to seasonal guidance, and adopting a maximum landing size of 400mm. A maximum landing size helps to protect larger, more fecund individuals. This is especially crucial for large male black bream, as they are essential in nest guarding and are often disproportionately removed by fishing.Management compliance in the EU and UK has been inconsistent, with ongoing challenges in enforcing some regulations.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 engagementBlack bream is included in the Seabream FMP, coordinated by Defra. At the time of writing, it is too soon to know whether proposed management measures will be effective in managing the stock. For more information about this FMP and expected progress and timelines, see [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/black-seabream-fisheries-management-plan-fmp].

Drift and fixed nets have minimal contact with the seafloor, However, there is concern for bycatch of marine mammals, seabirds, and elasmobranchs.In 2023, recreational pole and line accounted for the largest share of black bream landings (41.9%), followed by commercial pelagic trawls (32.6%), demersal seines (13.1%), and drift and fixed nets (12.5%). Cumulative landings of ‘sea bream’ species, including black bream, by drift and fixed nets totalled 34 tonnes in 2023.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). That said, specific bycatch data for drift and fixed net fisheries targeting black bream has not yet been reported.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 gillnets have high durability. If lost, they 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.

ASCOBANS, 2018. Update on the implementation of the EU nature, marine and fisheries policies relevant for ASCOBANS activities. Available at: https://www.ascobans.org/sites/default/files/document/AC24_Inf._8.a_Background%20document%20on%20relevant%20EU%20policy%20matters_0.pdfBlack Seabream Fisheries Management Plan Working Group. 2024. Black Seabream FMP - Working Group: Meeting 1. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6735cad154652d03d5161106/Presentation_slides_for_the_WC_FMP___BSB_FMP_WG_meeting_1_on_22_October.pdf [Accessed on 12.05.2025].Davies, P., Stamp, T., Hall, A., Atterborne, A., Lewis, J., Balchin, G.P., Tebb, A., Ward, S., Binney, F., Blampied, S. and Plaster, A., 2024. Interannual homing to reproductive sites and transboundary migration in black seabream Spondyliosoma cantharus, with implications for management. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 81(9), pp.1774-1784. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/81/9/1774/7748988?login=false#494654660 [Accessed on 12.05.2025].Defra. 2019. Purbeck Coast Marine Conservation Zone. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f56652ce90e0709942be6f2/mcz-purbeck-coast-2019.pdf [Accessed on: 19.05.2025].Defra. 2019. Southbourne Rough Marine Conservation Zone. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f55eda2d3bf7f4d75de6fe1/mcz-southbourne-rough-2019.pdf [Accessed on: 19.05.2025].Defra. 2019. Poole Rocks Marine Conservation Zone. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f36598cd3bf7f1b11192583/mcz-poole-rocks-2019.pdf [Accessed on: 19.05.2025].Eigaard, O.R., Bastardie, F., Breen, M., Dinesen, G.E., Hintzen, N.T., Laffargue, P., Mortensen, L.O., Nielsen, J.R., Nilsson, H.C., O'Neill, F.G., Polet, H., Reid, D.G., Sala, A., SkOld, M., Smith, C., Sorensen, T.K., Tully, O., Zengin, M., Rijnsdorp, A.D., 2016. Estimating seabed pressure from demersal trawls, seines, and dredges based on gear design and dimensions. ICES Journal of Marine Science, Volume 73, Issue suppl 1. Pages i27-i43. Available at https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/73/suppl_1/i27/2573989 [Accessed on: 27.05.2025].Froese, R. and Pauly, D. Editors. 2025. FishBase. Black seabream, Spondyliosoma cantharus. Available at https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Spondyliosoma_cantharus.html [Accessed on 12.05.2025].ICES. 2024. Celtic Seas ecoregion – Ecossytem Overview. Available at: https://ices-library.figshare.com/articles/report/Celtic_Seas_ecoregion_Ecosystem_Overview/25713033?file=46294378 [Accessed on: 27.05.2025].ICES. 2024. Greater North Sea ecoregion – Ecosystem overview. Available at: https://ices-library.figshare.com/articles/report/Greater_North_Sea_ecoregion_-_Ecosystem_Overview/27888621?file=50810502 [Accessed on: 27.05.2025].ICES. 2022. Working Group on Bycatch of Protected Species (WGBYC). ICES Scientific Reports. 3:107. 168 pp. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.9256MMO. 2025. Fishing gear requirements and Landing Obligation exemptions: Applicable to Pelagic gears in UK waters of the North Sea and North Western Waters. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/679a00121c041dcc469dae9b/14_-_2025_NS_and_NWW_-_Pelagic_gears_v1.pdf [Accessed on: 15.05.2025].MMO. 2025. Fishing gear requirements and Landing Obligation exemptions: Applicable to Gill, Trammel and Drift net fishing in UK waters of North Western Waters. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/679a0012aa3a187e2c9dae97/12_-_2025_NWW_-_Fixed_nets_v1.pdf [Accessed on: 15.05.2025].MMO. 2025. Fishing gear requirements and Landing Obligation exemptions: Applicable to Demersal towed gears fishing in UK waters of the English Channel. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67bc33d4d157fd4b79addd13/2025_English_Channel_-_Demersal_towed_gears_v2__1_.pdf [Accessed on: 15.05.2025].MMO. 2023. UK fleet landings by rectangle stock port and EEZ 2019-2023. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-sea-fisheries-annual-statistics-report-2023 [Accessed on: 01.05.2025].MMO, 2020. Mapping recreational sea anglers in English waters. A report produced for the Marine Management Organisation, MMO Project No: 1163. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f5777d9e90e0709942be702/003-MMO1163_mappingreport_20200902_Updated_Report.pdf [Accessed on: 15.05.2025].Natural England. 2021. Kingmere MCZ 2018 Survey Report. Available at: https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5936372117667840 [Accessed on: 13.05.2025].Pinder, A. C., Velterop, R., Cooke, S. J. and Britton, J. R. 2017. Consequences of catch-and-release angling for black bream Spondyliosoma cantharus, during the parental care period: implications for management, ICES Journal of Marine Science, 74(1), pp. 254-262. Available at https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/74/1/254/2669567 [Accessed on 12.05.2025].Seafish. 2025. Fishing Gear Database. Available at: https://www.seafish.org/responsible-sourcing/fishing-gear-database/ [Accessed on: 27.05.2025].Small, J. 2021. Southern IFCA: Black sea bream (Spondyliosoma cantharus). Available at: https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/25364/sitedata/Redesign/Key_Species/Black-Sea-Bream-Species-Profile-1.4.pdf [Accessed on 12.05.2025].Southern IFCA. 2016. Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw. Available at: https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/25364/sitedata/Redesign/Byelaws/Bottom-Towed-Fishing-Gear.pdf [Accessed on: 19.05.2025].Southern IFCA. 2009. Minimum conservation Reference Size Byelaw. Available at: https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/25364/sitedata/Redesign/Byelaws/SIFCA-MCRS-Byelaw.pdf [Accessed on: 19.05.2025].Sussex IFCA. 2021. Minimum Size (Fish, Crustacea and Mollusc) Byelaw 2021. Available at: https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/34087/sitedata/files/Byelaws/Minimum-Size-Byelaw-2021.pdf [Accessed on: 14.05.2025].Sussex IFCA. 2019. Nearshore Trawling Byelaw 2019. Available at: https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/34087/sitedata/files/Byelaws/Nearshore-Trawling-Byelaw.pd [Accessed on: 14.05.2025].Sussex IFCA. 2015. Marine Protected Areas Byelaw 2015. Available at: https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/34087/sitedata/files/Byelaws/Kingmere-Schedule-Guidance.pdf [Accessed on 14.05.2025].Sussex IFCA. Unknown. Kingmere Marine Conservation Zone: Angling Code of Conduct. Available at: https://secure.toolkitfiles.co.uk/clients/34087/sitedata/files/Regulations/Kingmere-MCZ-Angling-CoC-Reviewed-Jan-2025.pdf [Accessed on: 14.05.2025].UK Sea Angling Information Library (UK SAIL). 2025. Catch: Black sea bream. Available at: https://rconnect.cefas.co.uk/sea_angling_library/ [Accessed on 12.05.2025].