Dover sole are both wild-caught and increasingly farmed flatfish. Their specific behavioral needs and welfare challenges in aquaculture require evidence-based management.
Dover sole are among the most behaviorally specialized flatfish species, with a strictly benthic lifestyle and nocturnal feeding behavior driven entirely by chemoreception. Tank systems that do not provide substrate, appropriate lighting (dim or dark conditions), and stable chemical water quality are fundamentally incompatible with normal sole behavior. Sole in inappropriate environments show reduced feeding efficiency, increased stress markers, and impaired growth — welfare indicators that reflect genuine behavioral deprivation.
The farming of Dover sole is commercially challenging precisely because their behavioral needs are so specific. Research into appropriate tank design — flat-bottomed systems with fine substrate, dim lighting, and appropriate chemical attractants to facilitate pellet acceptance — is ongoing but has not yet produced fully satisfactory welfare outcomes in intensive systems.
Wild Dover sole are primarily caught by beam trawls — a highly disturbive method that involves heavy chain gear dragged across the seabed. This causes significant physical trauma, crushing, and exhaustion in captured fish. The welfare harm of beam trawling is compounded by the time fish spend in the net before hauling. Alternative fishing methods with lower bycatch and trauma would improve sole welfare in wild fisheries.