Dover sole

Eastern English Channel sole is a critical fail as biomass is outside safe biological levels.

Stock assessments are carried out annually by the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The most recent assessment was published in 2024.

Spawning-stock biomass (SSB) has been on a downward trend since 2014. In 2023 and 2024, it is below Blim (11,181 tonnes) and there is no recovery plan in place. In 2024, SSB is 10,467 tonnes.

Fishing pressure (F) has shown a decreasing trend since 2008 and is now around FMSY (0.23) at 0.22.

ICES advises that when the MSY approach is applied, catches in 2025 should be no more than 1,209 tonnes. This is a 19.6% decrease as a result of a lower stock size at the start of the advice year compared to the previous advice (including a lower recruitment estimated for 2023 than assumed last year), and lower target F for the advice year.

There is no management plan in place for Eastern English Channel sole and management measures in place have been inadequate at managing the stock.

The sole fishery in the Eastern English Channel is managed by Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and technical measures. Since 2016, advice has been given by ICES for total catch (landings and discards). In 2024, the TAC was set at 1504 tonnes, which is in line with scientific advice. Both advice and TAC have been in decline since 2021.

Sole in the Eastern English Channel has been under the landing obligation since 2018 (partially since 2016). In this area, there is a mixed fishery for sole and plaice and the two stocks are dominat commercially caught species. There can be contrasting changes in catch advice which can lead to higher discards of plaice. In 7.d., discards of plaice have increased from 18.4% in 2006 to 77% in 2023. In comparison, 15% of sole were discarded in 2023.

There are two exemptions in place which allow for discarding of undersized sole in 7.d:

1. A survival exemption for coastal otter trawlers outside nursery areas with cod end mesh size of 80-99 mm
2. A de minimis exemption for vessels using trammel and gill nets (max. 3% of annual catches) and using trammel and gill nets (max 3% of annual catches) and using beam trawl gear with a mesh size of 80-119 mm equipped with the Flemish panel (max. 3% of annual catches).

Technical measures in place for this fishery are:

• Minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) of 24cm.
• A minimum mesh size of 80mm for the sole fishery (which generates high discarding of plaice as they have a larger MLS than sole).

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 impacts
• Targets for fishing pressure and biomass, and additional management when those targets are not being met, based on the best scientific evidence
• Timeframes for stock recovery
• Improved 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 bycatch
• Stakeholder engagement

A Southern North Sea and Eastern Channel mixed flatfish FMP has been proposed, coordinated by Defra that covers the English waters within ICES divisions 4b, 4c and 7d. The FMP covers the following flatfish species (quota and non-quota): sole, dab, plaice, flounder, halibut, lemon sole, witch, turbot, brill. It is too soon to know whether the 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/government/collections/fisheries-management-plans#published-fmps.

Gillnets can be very size selective for the target fish but can be unselective at the species level for both non-target fish and for mammals, birds and turtles.

In 2023, catch was 1,517 tonnes, most of this (1,288 tonnes) was landed. Beam trawl accounts for around 45% of landings, with otter trawl accounting for 24%, trammel and gillnets, 29%, and other gear types, 2%.

Trammel nets are a wall of net divided into three layers. An inner fine-meshed net is sandwiched between two outer, larger meshed nets. The net is anchored at the base and floated by the headline, allowing it to hang vertically. The inner net is looser than the outer ones, ensuring that the fish become entangled within it. This is a method with little or no impact on the seabed but it can be associated with bycatch, including harbour porpoises, seals, rays, skates and seabirds.

Gillnets and fixed nets can be very size selective, but can bycatch species such as sharks, cetaceans and other marine mammals. Reports indicate that there is concern regarding the bycatch of cetaceans, particularly harbour porpoise, by gillnets. The IUCN lists harbour porpoise as being of least concern globally, but vulnerable in Europe. They are also classified as a priority species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework and are protected under the European Union (EU) Habitats Directive and Habitats Regulations as transposed into UK law, under which there are explicit bycatch requirements. To comply with the Habitats Directive, the UK has recently designated five Special Areas for Conservation for harbour porpoises, however, there is currently no management in place for these.

One of the areas of most concern is off the South West of England, where areas of higher gillnet fishing effort coincide with areas of larger harbour porpoise populations. While cetacean bycatch has been a long-term problem around Cornwall, the occurrence of stranded cetaceans has increased over the last two decades. In 2019, 24% of stranded cetaceans exhibited features consistent with bycatch or entanglement in fishing gear, a further 19% were assessed as being possible bycatch, and 52% had an unknown cause of death. However, this stock does not cover the Western English Channel, and harbour porpoise bycatch is not considered to be a problem in the Eastern English Channel.

Because of gillnets' durability (they are made of nylon), 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. Fish caught in trammel nets are often very good quality as they are not damaged by the capture process.