More plaice in the North Sea than ever before

The numbers of plaice in the North Sea have never been as high as they are now, according to figures from the International Council of the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), the world’s oldest environmental organisation. Based in Copenhagen, ICES credited EU fishing quotas with the recovery of plaice stocks. 

Plaice are estimated at 901,700 tonnes, the highest figure since records started being kept in 1957.  The growth in stock is a direct result of less pressure from the fishing industry, some of it imposed by fishing quotas and some of it voluntary, such as the adoption of better nets which allow smaller fish to escape to breed later.

Sole is also on the increase, said ICES, with an available stock of 11,900 tonnes. Stocks of turbot and brill are stable, and the numbers of cod are up slightly.

According to the estimates, the quotas this year for plaice, cod and herring should be increased; sole quotas should remain unchanged, and catches of turbot and brill should be reduced. The quotas and TACs (total allowable catches) for each member state of the EU, however, often take other considerations into account.