Good Fish Guide
Your guide to sustainable seafood
You can play a key role in securing the future of our seas and marine wildlife by making more environmentally responsible choices when buying seafood.
Our seas face a wide range of threats - click to expand
Our seas face a wide range of threats. Climate change, pollution, habitat and biodiversity loss are all impacting our seas; plus 90% of global fish stocks are either fully or over-exploited. All these factors combined mean that urgent action is needed to restore the health of our seas. Fish farming (aquaculture) is rapidly expanding to meet increasing demand for seafood, but if this is done badly it can also damage the environment and exacerbate these other problems.
Use the Good Fish Guide to find out which fish are the most sustainable (Green rated), and which are the least sustainable (Red rated). Make the right choice and reduce your impact – every purchase matters! Find out more about our seafood work, including how we develop our seafood ratings, plus sustainable seafood recipes and more.
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Sardine, European pilchard, sardines
Sardina pilchardus
Sardines or pilchards (sardine being below 15cm and pilchard above) are caught in the northeast Atlantic, central eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. 21 species are canned as sardines, but the European pilchard is the only true
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sardine. Sardines are commonly caught with purse seine nets and pelagic trawls, which are very selective when used to catch shoaling species and have no impact on the seabed. However, cetacean bycatch can occur. Sardine is a forage species providing prey to many larger fish and marine mammals, so large scale removal can have knock-on effects.
The Cornish ring-net fishery was certified as a sustainable fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in August 2010.
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Capture method — Purse seine
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Southern Celtic Seas and English Channel
Stock detail — 7
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Capture method — Ring net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Cornwall
Stock detail — 7e, 7f, 7g, 7h
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Purse seine
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Bay of Biscay
Stock detail — 8a-b, d
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) - Suspended
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Capture method — Purse seine
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Cantabrian Sea and Atlantic Iberian waters
Stock detail — 8c, 9a
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Sawfish
Pristis pristis, P.pectinata, P.perotteti
Sharks and rays are found in all the worlds oceans, from the poles to the tropics to shallow water coral reefs to water over 3,000m deep. The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is unusual as it is able to enter fresh water river systems
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where it gives birth. Sharks, skates and rays are fish, but they can be distinguished from bony fish (teleosts) by their cartilaginous skeletons. There are four main types of cartilaginous fish; sharks, skates and rays, collectively called elasmobranchs, and the rarely encountered chimaeras, a more distant relative only found in deep water. They are also distinguished from bony fish by the way they breed. Reproduction in sharks and rays is a very slow process as they have a late age of sexual maturity, produce few young and have a long gestation period. No maternal care is provided to shark pups, instead they are well-developed and ready to hunt when born in order to maximise their chance of survival. All shark eggs are fertilised internally but may develop in one of three different ways: Eggs are held within a leathery case (Oviparity), known as a mermaids purse, e.g. catshark; Embryos develop within the mother and are nourished by the egg (Oviparity) e.g. basking shark; Embryos develop within the mother and are provided with nutrients from a placenta (Viviparity) e.g. smooth-hound. World-wide sharks are being removed from our seas at an alarming rate. Sharks are slow growing, long-lived with low reproduction. Finning is perhaps the most damaging and distasteful of all shark fisheries. The process is cruel and wasteful, involving the removal and retention of fins, while the rest of the shark, is discarded, often still alive, to drown or be eaten. Finning takes place all over the world (including Europe) to feed the continual and increasing demand for sharkfin soup. Fins are consumed principally in the Far East but Europe and the USA are sizeable markets for shark fin. Fins may fetch over 30 per kilo and a single basking shark tail fin can fetch up to 5,250 in Hong Kong. Blue sharks and other oceanic species are the preferred species taken.
Sawfishes are arguably the most imperiled fishes in the world; the whole family has been classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Shark Specialist Group. Because of this, they are automatically a red-rated species.
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Capture method — Gill or fixed net
Capture area — Worldwide (FAO All Areas)
Stock area — All Areas
Stock detail — All Areas
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Scad, Horse Mackerel
Trachurus trachurus
This mackerel can be smoked, fried, salted and baked. Avoid eating immature fish; sexual maturity is reached at about 3-4 years at a length of about 25 cm, however, the legal minimum landing size is 15 cm.
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Capture method — All applicable methods
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — All Areas
Stock detail — I-IX
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Scallop, King, scallops
Pecten maximus
Pan fried with a bit of lemon is often how scallops are served -the part we generally eat is the white adductor muscle which it uses to open and close it's shell and the orange (female) and creamy (male) roe. Scallops are bivalve (2 shell)
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molluscs which are widespread and common. Two types are commonly available; the larger king scallop (often sold with the roe attached), and the smaller queen scallop, usually sold as meat only. Fact: In Classic times the scallop shell was worn as a badge by pilgrims visiting the shrine of St James.
Choose dive-caught scallops or dredge-caught scallops from either Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries, the inshore English Channel, managed by the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCA) or Lyme Bay. Avoid eating scallops below their legal minimum landing size and during their breeding season (April to September).
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Capture method — Dive caught
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Scotland
Stock detail — 6a (0-3nm)
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Capture method — Dive caught
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — English Channel: West
Stock detail — 7e.I (Inshore Cornwall: 0-6 nm)
Certification — FIP Stage 3. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-english-and-western-channel-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Shetland
Stock detail — 4a (0-6nm)
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Shetland
Stock detail — 4a (6-12nm)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Scotland
Stock detail — 6a (3-12nm)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a: Northern Ireland
Certification — FIP Stage 2. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-irish-sea-west-scotland-and-north-sea-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Scotland
Stock detail — 6a (0-3nm)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — English Channel: West
Stock detail — 7e.I (Inshore Cornwall: beyond 6nm)
Certification — FIP Stage 3. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-english-and-western-channel-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — English Channel: West
Stock detail — 7e.I (Inshore Cornwall: 0-6 nm)
Certification — FIP Stage 3. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-english-and-western-channel-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Bristol Channel
Stock detail — 7f.I (Inshore Bristol Channel: beyond 6nm)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — English Channel: East
Stock detail — 7d.N (Inshore North: 0-6 nm)
Certification — FIP Stage 3. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-english-and-western-channel-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — English Channel: East
Stock detail — 7d.N (Offshore North: waters outside 6 nm)
Certification — FIP Stage 3. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-english-and-western-channel-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a: Isle of Man (Territorial waters 0-3nm)
Certification — FIP Stage 2. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-irish-sea-west-scotland-and-north-sea-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a: Isle of Man (Territorial waters 3-12nm)
Certification — FIP Stage 2. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-irish-sea-west-scotland-and-north-sea-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a: Isle of Man (Non-territorial waters outside 12nm)
Certification — FIP Stage 2. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-irish-sea-west-scotland-and-north-sea-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a: Wales (Cardigan Bay)
Certification — FIP Stage 2. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-irish-sea-west-scotland-and-north-sea-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — English Channel: West
Stock detail — 7e.L (Lyme Bay)
Certification — FIP Stage 3. Click [here for info on FIP](https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/uk-english-and-western-channel-great-atlantic-scallop-dredge)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Scotland
Stock detail — 4b (3-12nm)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Scotland
Stock detail — 4b (0-3nm)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Scotland
Stock detail — 4a (0-3nm)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Scotland
Stock detail — 4a (3-12nm)
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Scallop, Queen, scallops
Aequipecten opercularis
In most areas, it is unknown if Queen scallops populations are healthy or not. Choose Queen Scallops from Welsh fisheries. The Isle of Man populations are in a poor state, despite adopting many management measures to improve the stock. A … Read more Pan-Irish Management Agreement is required to ensure that Irish Sea stocks are managed appropriately. Generally, fishing methods used to catch queen scallops are less destructive than king scallop dredgers.
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a: Wales (All areas)
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Capture method — Sail and oar
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Cornwall
Stock detail — 7e, 7f, 7g, 7h
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a: Isle of Man (Non-territorial waters outside 12nm)
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a: Isle of Man (Territorial waters 0-12nm)
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Capture method — Dredge
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a: Isle of Man (Non-territorial waters outside 12nm)
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Shark, Angel
Squatina squatina
Sharks and rays are found in all the worlds oceans, from the poles to the tropics to shallow water coral reefs to water over 3,000 m deep. The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is unusual as it is able to enter fresh water river systems
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where it gives birth. Sharks, skates and rays are fish, but they can be distinguished from bony fish (teleosts) by their cartilaginous skeletons. There are four main types of cartilaginous fish; sharks, skates and rays, collectively called elasmobranchs, and the rarely encountered chimaeras, a more distant relative only found in deep water. They are also distinguished from bony fish by the way they breed. Reproduction in sharks and rays is a very slow process as they have a late age of sexual maturity, produce few young and have a long gestation period. No maternal care is provided to shark pups, instead they are well-developed and ready to hunt when born in order to maximise their chance of survival. All shark eggs are fertilised internally but may develop in one of three different ways: Eggs are held within a leathery case (Oviparity), known as a mermaids purse, e.g. catshark; Embryos develop within the mother and are nourished by the egg (Oviparity) e.g. basking shark; Embryos develop within the mother and are provided with nutrients from a placenta (Viviparity) e.g. smooth-hound. World-wide sharks are being removed from our seas at an alarming rate. Sharks are slow growing, long-lived with low reproduction. Finning is perhaps the most damaging and distasteful of all shark fisheries. The process is cruel and wasteful, involving the removal and retention of fins, while the rest of the shark, is discarded, often still alive, to drown or be eaten. Finning takes place all over the world (including Europe) to feed the continual and increasing demand for sharkfin soup. Fins are consumed principally in the Far East but Europe and the USA are sizeable markets for shark fin. Blue sharks and other oceanic species are the preferred species taken. British seas are home to over 30 shark species including the fastest shark in the world (the shortfin Mako) and the second largest fish in the world (the Basking shark) and we even get tropical rare visitors such as hammerheads.
Angel shark is an EU Prohibited Species and are Critically Endangered. Catches of angel shark are now rare, both in surveys and commercially. Avoid eating.
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Capture method — All applicable methods
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North East Atlantic
Stock detail — All Areas
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Shark, Blue
Prionace glauca
Sharks and rays are found in all the worlds oceans, from the poles to the tropics to shallow water coral reefs to water over 3,000 m deep. The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is unusual as it is able to enter fresh water river systems
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where it gives birth. Sharks, skates and rays are fish, but they can be distinguished from bony fish (teleosts) by their cartilaginous skeletons. There are four main types of cartilaginous fish; sharks, skates and rays, collectively called elasmobranchs, and the rarely encountered chimaeras, a more distant relative only found in deep water. They are also distinguished from bony fish by the way they breed. Reproduction in sharks and rays is a very slow process as they have a late age of sexual maturity, produce few young and have a long gestation period. No maternal care is provided to shark pups, instead they are well-developed and ready to hunt when born in order to maximise their chance of survival. All shark eggs are fertilised internally but may develop in one of three different ways: Eggs are held within a leathery case (Oviparity), known as a mermaids purse, e.g. catshark; Embryos develop within the mother and are nourished by the egg (Oviparity) e.g. basking shark; Embryos develop within the mother and are provided with nutrients from a placenta (Viviparity) e.g. smooth-hound. World-wide sharks are being removed from our seas at an alarming rate. Sharks are slow growing, long-lived with low reproduction. Finning is perhaps the most damaging and distasteful of all shark fisheries. The process is cruel and wasteful, involving the removal and retention of fins, while the rest of the shark, is discarded, often still alive, to drown or be eaten. Finning takes place all over the world (including Europe) to feed the continual and increasing demand for sharkfin soup. Fins are consumed principally in the Far East but Europe and the USA are sizeable markets for shark fin. Blue sharks and other oceanic species are the preferred species taken. British seas are home to over 30 shark species including the fastest shark in the world (the shortfin Mako) and the second largest fish in the world (the Basking shark) and we even get tropical rare visitors such as hammerheads.
Blue shark are a red-rated species. Avoid eating Blue shark.
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Capture method — All applicable methods
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North East Atlantic
Stock detail — All Areas
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Capture method — All applicable methods
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Cornwall
Stock detail — 7e, 7f, 7g, 7h
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Shark, Porbeagle
Lamna nasus
Sharks and rays are found in all the worlds oceans, from the poles to the tropics to shallow water coral reefs to water over 3,000 m deep. The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is unusual as it is able to enter fresh water river systems
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where it gives birth. Sharks, skates and rays are fish, but they can be distinguished from bony fish (teleosts) by their cartilaginous skeletons. There are four main types of cartilaginous fish; sharks, skates and rays, collectively called elasmobranchs, and the rarely encountered chimaeras, a more distant relative only found in deep water. They are also distinguished from bony fish by the way they breed. Reproduction in sharks and rays is a very slow process as they have a late age of sexual maturity, produce few young and have a long gestation period. No maternal care is provided to shark pups, instead they are well-developed and ready to hunt when born in order to maximise their chance of survival. All shark eggs are fertilised internally but may develop in one of three different ways: Eggs are held within a leathery case (Oviparity), known as a mermaids purse, e.g. catshark; Embryos develop within the mother and are nourished by the egg (Oviparity) e.g. basking shark; Embryos develop within the mother and are provided with nutrients from a placenta (Viviparity) e.g. smooth-hound. World-wide sharks are being removed from our seas at an alarming rate. Sharks are slow growing, long-lived with low reproduction. Finning is perhaps the most damaging and distasteful of all shark fisheries. The process is cruel and wasteful, involving the removal and retention of fins, while the rest of the shark, is discarded, often still alive, to drown or be eaten. Finning takes place all over the world (including Europe) to feed the continual and increasing demand for sharkfin soup. Fins are consumed principally in the Far East but Europe and the USA are sizeable markets for shark fin. Blue sharks and other oceanic species are the preferred species taken. British seas are home to over 30 shark species including the fastest shark in the world (the shortfin Mako) and the second largest fish in the world (the Basking shark) and we even get tropical rare visitors such as hammerheads.
Porbeagle is assessed as Critically Endangered in Northeast Atlantic by the IUCN. ICES advises that no fishing for porbeagle should be permitted, landings should not be allowed. Porbeagles are automatically scored red-rated. Avoid eating.
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — All Areas
Stock detail — 1 to 9
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Shark, Tope
Galeorhinus galeus
Sharks and rays are found in all the worlds oceans, from the poles to the tropics to shallow water coral reefs to water over 3,000 m deep. The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is unusual as it is able to enter fresh water river systems
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where it gives birth. Sharks, skates and rays are fish, but they can be distinguished from bony fish (teleosts) by their cartilaginous skeletons. There are four main types of cartilaginous fish; sharks, skates and rays, collectively called elasmobranchs, and the rarely encountered chimaeras, a more distant relative only found in deep water. They are also distinguished from bony fish by the way they breed. Reproduction in sharks and rays is a very slow process as they have a late age of sexual maturity, produce few young and have a long gestation period. No maternal care is provided to shark pups, instead they are well-developed and ready to hunt when born in order to maximise their chance of survival. All shark eggs are fertilised internally but may develop in one of three different ways: Eggs are held within a leathery case (Oviparity), known as a mermaids purse, e.g. catshark; Embryos develop within the mother and are nourished by the egg (Oviparity) e.g. basking shark; Embryos develop within the mother and are provided with nutrients from a placenta (Viviparity) e.g. smooth-hound. World-wide sharks are being removed from our seas at an alarming rate. Sharks are slow growing, long-lived with low reproduction. Finning is perhaps the most damaging and distasteful of all shark fisheries. The process is cruel and wasteful, involving the removal and retention of fins, while the rest of the shark, is discarded, often still alive, to drown or be eaten. Finning takes place all over the world (including Europe) to feed the continual and increasing demand for sharkfin soup. Fins are consumed principally in the Far East but Europe and the USA are sizeable markets for shark fin. Blue sharks and other oceanic species are the preferred species taken. British seas are home to over 30 shark species including the fastest shark in the world (the shortfin Mako) and the second largest fish in the world (the Basking shark) and we even get tropical rare visitors such as hammerheads.
Tope is considered highly vulnerable to over-exploitation because they are slow-growing and long-lived with a low reproductive capacity. Tope is assessed as Vulnerable (2016) globally by IUCN and as "Data Deficient" in the Northeast Atlantic. Fishing for tope In Scottish waters, other than by rod and line or hand-line, is prohibited (applies to commercial vessels) - and no tope caught can then be landed. Likewise, there is the 45 kg/day limit in England and Wales so, although there are no quotas or TACs, there are restrictions in place for commercial vessels. Avoid eating.
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North East Atlantic
Stock detail — All Areas
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North East Atlantic
Stock detail — All Areas
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Capture method — Gill or fixed net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North East Atlantic
Stock detail — All Areas
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Capture method — All applicable methods
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Cornwall
Stock detail — 7e, 7f, 7g, 7h
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Shrimp, brown or common
Crangon crangon
The common or brown shrimp, is found in mainly shallow water along the Eastern Atlantic coast as far south as Morocco, and into the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Brown shrimp is a relatively fast growing and resilient species yet plays a
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very important role in the marine ecosystem. It is primarily caught in the North Sea using shrimp trawls.
Brown shrimp is primarily caught using shrimp trawls in the North Sea with a very small fishery also occurring in the northeast Irish Sea. Most of the catch is taken in or around the Wadden Sea on the eastern side of the North Sea, which is one of Europe's most important marine conservation areas and national parks. It is important that sufficient areas of these conservation areas are protected to allow natural processes to continue with minimal disruption from fishing. Shrimp trawls are lighter than traditional beam trawls, but can still damage seafloor communities so is important that sensitive areas are protected. Bycatch of juvenile fish remains an issue in these fisheries and further work is needed to improve this, such as trialling of square mesh codends and panels. There are also very few controls in place to prevent the overexploitation of local shrimp populations. Some fleets in the North Sea have voluntarily adopted a harvest control rule which is a positive sign, but cooperation between member states accessing the fishery is needed for this to be effective.
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Capture method — Beam trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — VIIa
Stock detail — Solway Firth
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Capture method — Beam trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea
Stock detail — IV
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Skate, Common
Dipturus batis
Skate and ray species are all generally sold as 'skate', but all true Skate should be completely avoided. Whole ray are available as fresh or frozen wings and knobs (cheeks).The term 'Skates and Rays' can be a bit confusing here in
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Britain. What are traditionally known in Britain as 'rays' are, scientifically or biologically speaking, 'skates'. While the rays (which are technically skates!) sold in fishmongers throughout Britain - Spotted, Small-eyed, Cuckoo, Blonde etc. - belong to the family Rajidae, not all rays found in British waters belong to this family. Two species of Torpedo Rays (Torpedinidae); 2 species of Whiptail Stingrays (Dasyatidae); the Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatidae) ; and Giant Devil Ray (Mobulidae) are also either resident or visitors to our waters! Skates and rays generally available for consumption however do belong to the same sub-order "batoidea" and are large flat fish, dwelling close to the sea floor. Like sharks they have cartilage skeletons instead of bone. Skates tend to be large with long snouts, while rays are smaller species and have short snouts. They are both slow to grow and breed. Many are uncommon or rare. For more information on skates, rays and sharks go to: http://www.sharktrust.org.
Avoid eating. They are an EU Prohibited Species and it is prohibited to fish for, retain, or landing common skate is prohibited in EU waters. Common Skate is assessed as Critically Endangered by IUCN and is listed by OSPAR as a threatened and declining species. Because of this, they are automatically a red-rated species.
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Capture method — All applicable methods
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea and Skagerrak; Celtic Sea and West of Scotland
Stock detail — 6 & 7
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Skate, Longnosed
Dipturus oxyrinchus
Skate and ray species are all generally sold as 'skate', but all true Skate should be completely avoided. Whole ray are available as fresh or frozen wings and knobs (cheeks).The term 'Skates and Rays' can be a bit confusing here in
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Britain. What are traditionally known in Britain as 'rays' are, scientifically or biologically speaking, 'skates'. While the rays (which are technically skates!) sold in fishmongers throughout Britain - Spotted, Small-eyed, Cuckoo, Blonde etc. - belong to the family Rajidae, not all rays found in British waters belong to this family. Two species of Torpedo Rays (Torpedinidae); 2 species of Whiptail Stingrays (Dasyatidae); the Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatidae) ; and Giant Devil Ray (Mobulidae) are also either resident or visitors to our waters! Skates and rays generally available for consumption however do belong to the same sub-order "batoidea" and are large flat fish, dwelling close to the sea floor. Like sharks they have cartilage skeletons instead of bone. Skates tend to be large with long snouts, while rays are smaller species and have short snouts. They are both slow to grow and breed. Many are uncommon or rare. For more information on skates, rays and sharks go to: http://www.sharktrust.org.
In general, skates and rays are vulnerable to overfishing because they grow really slowly, mature late in life and produce few young. We don't know if their populations are healthy most of the time because, until recently, catches haven't been recorded very well. When choosing skate or ray, choose a fast-growing species like Spotted Ray because their populations are at a healthier level. Avoid eating skates and rays below the size at which they can reproduce (57cm in length for spotted ray). If buying Spotted Ray, choose it from boats belonging to the North Devon Fishermen's Association (NDFA) because they employ better management to protect skates and rays.
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — All Areas
Stock detail — 1 to 10
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Skate, Norwegian or Black
Dipturus nidarosiensis
Skate and ray species are all generally sold as 'skate', but all true Skate should be completely avoided. Whole ray are available as fresh or frozen wings and knobs (cheeks).The term 'Skates and Rays' can be a bit confusing here in
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Read more
Britain. What are traditionally known in Britain as 'rays' are, scientifically or biologically speaking, 'skates'. While the rays (which are technically skates!) sold in fishmongers throughout Britain - Spotted, Small-eyed, Cuckoo, Blonde etc. - belong to the family Rajidae, not all rays found in British waters belong to this family. Two species of Torpedo Rays (Torpedinidae); 2 species of Whiptail Stingrays (Dasyatidae); the Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatidae) ; and Giant Devil Ray (Mobulidae) are also either resident or visitors to our waters! Skates and rays generally available for consumption however do belong to the same sub-order "batoidea" and are large flat fish, dwelling close to the sea floor. Like sharks they have cartilage skeletons instead of bone. Skates tend to be large with long snouts, while rays are smaller species and have short snouts. They are both slow to grow and breed. Many are uncommon or rare. For more information on skates, rays and sharks go to: http://www.sharktrust.org.
Avoid eating. Norwegian skate are an EU Prohibited Species. Because of this, they are automatically a red-rated species.
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Capture method — All applicable methods
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — All Areas
Stock detail — 4, 3a, 7d
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Skate, White
Rostroraja alba
Skate and ray species are all generally sold as 'skate', but all true Skate should be completely avoided. Whole ray are available as fresh or frozen wings and knobs (cheeks).The term 'Skates and Rays' can be a bit confusing here in
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Britain. What are traditionally known in Britain as 'rays' are, scientifically or biologically speaking, 'skates'. While the rays (which are technically skates!) sold in fishmongers throughout Britain - Spotted, Small-eyed, Cuckoo, Blonde etc. - belong to the family Rajidae, not all rays found in British waters belong to this family. Two species of Torpedo Rays (Torpedinidae); 2 species of Whiptail Stingrays (Dasyatidae); the Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatidae) ; and Giant Devil Ray (Mobulidae) are also either resident or visitors to our waters! Skates and rays generally available for consumption however do belong to the same sub-order "batoidea" and are large flat fish, dwelling close to the sea floor. Like sharks they have cartilage skeletons instead of bone. Skates tend to be large with long snouts, while rays are smaller species and have short snouts. They are both slow to grow and breed. Many are uncommon or rare. For more information on skates, rays and sharks go to: http://www.sharktrust.org.
Avoid eating. White skate are an EU Prohibited Species. Because of this, they are automatically red-rated.
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Capture method — All applicable methods
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North East Atlantic
Stock detail — All Areas
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Smoothhound
Mustelus spp.
Sharks and rays are found in all the worlds oceans, from the poles to the tropics to shallow water coral reefs to water over 3,000 m deep. The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is unusual as it is able to enter fresh water river systems
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where it gives birth. Sharks, skates and rays are fish, but they can be distinguished from bony fish (teleosts) by their cartilaginous skeletons. There are four main types of cartilaginous fish; sharks, skates and rays, collectively called elasmobranchs, and the rarely encountered chimaeras, a more distant relative only found in deep water. They are also distinguished from bony fish by the way they breed. Reproduction in sharks and rays is a very slow process as they have a late age of sexual maturity, produce few young and have a long gestation period. No maternal care is provided to shark pups, instead they are well-developed and ready to hunt when born in order to maximise their chance of survival. All shark eggs are fertilised internally but may develop in one of three different ways: Eggs are held within a leathery case (Oviparity), known as a mermaids purse, e.g. catshark; Embryos develop within the mother and are nourished by the egg (Ovoviparity) e.g. basking shark; Embryos develop within the mother and are provided with nutrients from a placenta (Viviparity) e.g. smooth-hound. World-wide sharks are being removed from our seas at an alarming rate. Sharks are slow growing, long-lived with low reproduction. Finning is perhaps the most damaging and distasteful of all shark fisheries. The process is cruel and wasteful, involving the removal and retention of fins, while the rest of the shark, is discarded, often still alive, to drown or be eaten. Finning takes place all over the world (including Europe) to feed the continual and increasing demand for sharkfin soup. Fins are consumed principally in the Far East but Europe and the USA are sizeable markets for shark fin. Blue sharks and other oceanic species are the preferred species taken. British seas are home to over 30 shark species including the fastest shark in the world (the shortfin Mako) and the second largest fish in the world (the Basking shark) and we even get tropical rare visitors such as hammerheads.
Smoothhound is one of few shark species whose numbers appear to be stable at present, however there is much uncertainty about its stock status. Unlike many similar elasmobranchs, their relatively high productivity means that there is potential for this species to be harvested sustainably. However, data are lacking on their biology, and level of fishing on the species which precludes the ability to manage them effectively.
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Capture method — Gill or fixed net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North East Atlantic
Stock detail — All Areas
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Cornwall
Stock detail — 7e, 7f, 7g, 7h
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North East Atlantic
Stock detail — All Areas
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