Overview of the evolution of the assessment and management of the Northern European skate and ray fishery. December 2014.

Summary

The management of skate and ray fisheries has changed radically in the past 6 years with the implementation of Total Allowable Catches (TAC) in the Celtic Sea and West of Scotland as well as the North Sea and stock assessments using the ICES Data Limited Assessment methods. The purpose of this document is to outline and discuss the main trends in the assessment and management of stocks of skates and rays and the fisheries of them in the North Sea, Celtic Sea and West of Scotland over recent years. The assessment and management of these fisheries is discussed in the context of how science, government, fishers and the supply chain could contribute to the management of skate and ray fisheries thereby reducing the necessity for cuts across all stocks of these species. This report summarises some of these advances and it discusses possible further work in these fisheries.

Publication date

01 December 2014