White monkfish
Lophius piscatorius
What to check for
Location
Celtic Seas (South), Bay of Biscay
Technical location
Atlantic, Northeast, Bay of Biscay (Central), Bay of Biscay (North), Bay of Biscay (Offshore), Irish Sea, Porcupine Bank, English Channel, Bristol Channel, Celtic Seas, West and Southwest of Ireland
Caught by
Net (gill or fixed)
Rating summary
For more information about this rating please visit: https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/monkfish-white.php
Technical consultation summary
2025 ICES advice shows high biomass well above MSY, with fishing pressure well below MSY, stock score of 0. Management continues to use a mixed species TAC, and therefore cannot have an improved rating.
How we worked out this Rating
White anglerfish in the Celtic Seas and Bay of Biscay is not overfished and not subject to overfishing.Reference points for white anglerfish were established in 2022 for this Celtic Seas and Bay of Biscay stock.The spawning stock biomass (SSB) in this area has increased overall from a low of around 21,580 tonnes in 2005 to 55136t in 2022 - well above target levels (MSY BTrigger = 28275t). Therefore, the stock is not in an overfished state. Recruitment has averaged 117 million between 2013-2022. Assumed recruitment in 2021 and 2022 is close to the average at 109.6 and 108.6 million respectively.Fishing mortality (F) has been generally declining since 2013 from 0.25 to 0.15 in 2021. This is below levels associated with Maximum Sustainable Yield (FMSY = of 0.19). The stock is therefore not subject to overfishing.ICES advises that when the MSY approach is applied, catches in 2023 should be no more than 34,476 tonnes. The new methodology, based on the benchmark, has changed the estimated fishing mortality and recruitment estimates altering catch advice.
For more information about this rating please visit: https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/monkfish-white.php
For more information about this rating please visit: https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/monkfish-white.php
References
For more information about this rating please visit: https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/monkfish-white.php
Sustainable swaps
Learn more about how we calculate our sustainability ratings.
How our ratings work