Thornback Ray Welfare in European Fisheries

The thornback ray is the most commonly landed elasmobranch in European waters. Its welfare in commercial fisheries and beam trawls is largely unexamined.

Key Facts

Thornback rays are the most commercially important ray species in European Atlantic waters
They are caught in beam trawls, otter trawls, and static gillnets along European coasts
Thornback rays are sold in UK fish markets as skate and used in traditional recipes
They are slow to mature — females do not breed until 5-7 years of age
Population declines have been recorded across much of their historical range
Thornback rays are kept in touch tanks and public aquariums across Europe

Welfare Considerations

Thornback rays caught in beam trawls are subject to crushing under heavy steel beam gear dragged across the seabed. Trawl capture causes barotrauma, skin abrasion, and extended confinement with declining oxygen. In touch tanks, thornback rays are frequently subjected to handling by visitors with little welfare oversight — rays that cannot escape repeated handling show elevated stress responses. Aquarium keeping of rays requires large, appropriate sandy-bottomed enclosures and appropriate prey. Commercial landing often involves prolonged suffocation on deck.

What You Can Do

Avoid purchasing skate and ray products unless from certified sustainable and welfare-conscious sources
Advocate for aquarium touch tank welfare standards that limit handling duration and intensity
Support research into the pain and stress experience of elasmobranchs in captivity
Donate to European elasmobranch conservation organisations working on ray population recovery