Starry ray

It is prohibited to catch starry ray across this area of Europe. Therefore, this species is a critical fail on the Good Fish Guide.

This stock is data‑limited, with the most recent assessment published in 2023 by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Starry ray has low resilience to fishing pressure and is listed as Vulnerable globally on the IUCN Red List.

Catches peaked in 2011 at 3,611 tonnes but declined substantially to 897 tonnes in 2022. The vast majority of catches are discarded due to the low commercial value of this smaller skate species – only 1 tonne was landed in 2022. Despite declining catches, fishing pressure in 2022 (F = 1.06) remains above the FMSY proxy (1). The relative contribution of fishing mortality compared with other sources of mortality is unknown. In addition to fishing pressure, starry ray is susceptible to depletion due to habitat loss, sand and gravel extraction, and eutrophication.

Stock size is monitored using a biomass index (Itrigger). Since the start of the time series in 1992, stock size has fluctuated, peaking in 2001 at 8.9. It has since declined and fell below Itrigger (1.89) in 2010, remaining below this threshold ever since. In 2022, the stock index was 0.73. This downward trend is also reflected in abundance indices: Index A (mean of 2021–2022 = 0.53) lies below Index B (mean of 2018–2020 = 0.71).

ICES advises that under the MSY approach, catches should be zero for 2024–2027. A zero TAC has already been in place for starry ray since 2015. That same year, the species was added to the EU and UK list of prohibited species, meaning it may not be targeted, retained on board, transhipped, or landed.

It is prohibited to catch starry ray across this area of Europe. Therefore, it is a critical fail on the Good Fish Guide.

A zero Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for starry ray has been in place since 2015. That same year, the species was added to the list of prohibited species, meaning it cannot be targeted, retained on board, transhipped, or landed. There is no species‑specific management plan for this stock. When starry ray is accidentally caught, Council Regulation (EC) 2016/72 requires that they must not be harmed and must be released promptly.

Skates and rays caught in Northwest waters (ICES subareas 6 and 7) and North Sea waters (ICES subareas 2a, 3a, and 4) with any fishing gear are also exempt from the landing obligation due to their high survivability rates. Any individuals discarded at sea must be released immediately and below the water’s surface.

That said, identification of skate and ray species at the point of sale is challenging because they are primarily valued for their wings. As a result, the bodies are often discarded and the wings skinned, making species‑level identification difficult.

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

Starry ray is included in the Southern North Sea and Channel skates and rays 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/government/publications/joint-fisheries-statement-jfs/list-of-fisheries-management-plans].

Otter trawling is likely to cause some damage to the seabed. Bycatch is moderate and may include vulnerable species.

Elasmobranchs generally show relatively high survival rates because they lack swim bladders and are therefore less affected by changes in water pressure. Their thick, abrasive skin also provides additional protection. Inshore and coastal fisheries using trawls, longlines, gillnets, and tangle nets typically report low at-vessel mortality.

Demersal trawls have the potential to take relatively high quantities of bycatch. In the Greater North Sea ecoregion, bycatch from otter trawls can include endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species, such as the common skate complex, deep-water sharks, and the harbour porpoise. Bycatch data is limited in many UK and EU fisheries as they are generally not well monitored.

Demersal trawls have contact with the seabed resulting in penetration and abrasion of habitat features. The impact of trawling on the seabed depends on the location and scale in which trawling occurs. For example, areas that are used to natural disturbance through tides and waves, are less sensitive to habitat impacts. Areas not used to mobile towed gears are typically more sensitive to trawling. Trawl gears are known to have some of the greatest impacts on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs).

In the North Sea area, impacts from bottom trawling are variable. Fishing grounds vary, but the habitat is generally mud and sand, which are less vulnerable to trawling than features such as reefs and seagrass. Data from 2024 indicates an estimated 70% of the 0-200m zone, and 27% of the 200-800m zone, has been at least partially trawled. Average fishing mortality in the areas has reduced since the late 1990s for pelagic, demersal, and shellfish stocks. However, fishing in the North Sea in general has reduced the number of large fish in the ecosystem (mostly cod, saithe, ling, sturgeon, and some elasmobranchs). There are also concerns about the impact of North Sea trawling on sea pens.

Mitigation measures include a ban on bottom trawling below 800m, and restrictions from 400-600m – the areas where most VMEs are found. There remains some uncertainty about the location of some sensitive seabed habitats, so these remain at risk.

There are Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in this area, some of which are designated to protect seabed features from damaging activities. This fishery overlaps with parts of these MPAs, but the proportion of the catch coming from these areas is expected to be relatively low in relation to the unit of assessment (i.e. less than 20% of the catch or effort), and so these impacts have not been assessed within the scale of this rating. Given the important role that MPAs have in recovering the health and function of our seas, MCS encourages the supply chain to identify if their specific sources are being caught from within MPAs. If sources are suspected of coming from within designated and managed MPAs, MCS advises businesses to establish if the fishing activity is operating legally inside a designated and managed MPA, and request evidence from the fishery or managing authority to demonstrate that the activity is not damaging to protected features or a threat to the conservation objectives of the site(s).

To improve monitoring and reporting of fishing activity, MCS would like to see remote electronic monitoring (REM) with cameras implemented, used and enforced.