Dover sole caught in British Columbia, Canada, is rated yellow. Dover sole isn’t considered overfished, but it’s unknown if current fishing levels are sustainable. It’s also caught with species that are undergoing overfishing OR they’re overfished or highly vulnerable, and it’s unknown if overfishing is happening. Management of these complex multi-species fisheries is moderately effective overall. Some aspects are strong, but fishery managers don’t know if many species are being harvested sustainably. Closed areas and other measures reduce overall habitat impacts, and broader efforts to protect ecosystems are being developed and are likely to be effective.
Impacts on the Species Under Assessment
3.318
Impacts on Other Species
1.526
Management Effectiveness
3.000
Impacts on the Habitat and Ecosystem
3.000
FISHING METHOD
Bottom trawls herd and sieve fish with two or more cone-shaped nets that have smaller mesh bags called codends, which retain the catch. Trawl nets are configured to stay open in different ways. Often floating headropes and weighted footropes hold the nets open vertically, and beams, otter boards, or two boats keep them open horizontally. When in use, fish are herded into the codend as the gear is towed on or near the seafloor. Bottom trawls are used to catch cod, crab, flounder, pollock, rockfish, shrimp, and many other species.
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