Plaice Welfare in North Sea Capture and Potential Aquaculture

Key Facts

• European plaice are a major commercial flatfish with landings of approximately 100,000 tonnes annually from the North Sea
• Beam trawl capture causes severe physical injury — plaice are damaged by tickler chains and trawl doors
• Discard mortality of undersized plaice in beam trawl fisheries represents massive welfare loss
• Plaice aquaculture development is limited by their slow growth and complex culture requirements
• As benthic flatfish, their welfare needs in captivity require adequate substrate and low stocking density

Welfare Considerations

Plaice welfare in capture fisheries is primarily determined by the destructive beam trawl method used in their primary fishery. Tickler chains and heavy doors cause physical injury to fish and massive bycatch mortality of undersized plaice. Discard bans now require retention of undersized fish in some EU fisheries, but handling and mortality on deck remain welfare concerns. Alternative fishing methods (electrotrawls, pulse fishing) reduce physical damage but face regulatory and public acceptance challenges. The scale of plaice landings means welfare improvements have significant aggregate impact.

What You Can Do

• Support transition away from beam trawl toward less damaging fishing methods for North Sea flatfish
• Choose plaice from certified sustainable fisheries with lower bycatch and discard rates
• Advocate for EU and UK fisheries policies that incentivize lower-impact gear for flatfish
• Support discard mortality reduction research for North Sea flatfish capture fisheries
• Engage with seafood certification bodies about including welfare criteria in flatfish certification standards