Good Fish Guide

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 … Read more 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.

Scallop, King, scallops

Pecten maximus

Most scallops are caught by dredging, which can be very damaging to habitats. Choose dive-caught as a much better option. Work is underway to try to improve understanding of the locations and sizes of UK scallop stocks - in general, the … Read more stocks in the North Sea do not seem to be doing well. Scallop fisheries in Shetland (Marine Stewardship Council-certified), Isle of Man, Lyme Bay, and the inshore Yorkshire Coast (North Eastern IFCA district) are better managed than most. Some Fishery Improvement Projects are underway to improve management and reduce environmental impacts. Avoid eating scallops below their legal minimum landing size (100-110mm) and if eating fresh from the sea, avoid their breeding season (April to September). Farmed scallops are not yet common in the UK market, but make a great sustainable alternative to wild-caught dredged scallops.

Scallop, Queen, scallops

Aequipecten opercularis

Most scallops are caught by dredging, which can be very damaging to habitats. Choose dive-caught as a much better option. Work is underway to try to improve understanding of the locations and sizes of UK scallop stocks - in general, the … Read more stocks in the North Sea do not seem to be doing well. Scallop fisheries in Shetland (Marine Stewardship Council-certified), Isle of Man, Lyme Bay, and the inshore Yorkshire Coast (North Eastern IFCA district) are better managed than most. Some Fishery Improvement Projects are underway to improve management and reduce environmental impacts. Avoid eating scallops below their legal minimum landing size (100-110mm) and if eating fresh from the sea, avoid their breeding season (April to September). Farmed scallops are not yet common in the UK market, but make a great sustainable alternative to wild-caught dredged scallops.

Shark, Angel

Squatina squatina

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.

Shark, Blue

Prionace glauca

Shark, Porbeagle

Lamna nasus

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.

Shark, Tope

Galeorhinus galeus

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 … Read more 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.

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 … Read more 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.

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 … 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. 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.

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 … 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.

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.

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 … 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.

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 … 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. White skate are an EU Prohibited Species. Because of this, they are automatically red-rated.

Smoothhound

Mustelus spp.

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 … Read more 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.

Sole, Dover sole, Common sole

Solea solea

The best choices for Dover or common sole are from the north Celtic Sea, the Bristol Channel and the western English Channel. Fish caught by otter trawl and gillnet will have fewer habitat impacts than those caught by beam trawl, and avoid … Read more pulse-trawl-caught fish altogether. Avoid eating immature sole (less than 30cm) and fresh (not previously frozen) fish caught during the breeding season (April-June).

Sole, Lemon

Microstomus kitt

The fishery for Lemon sole is generally unmanaged in EU waters and there is no minimum landing size (MLS) for the species. An exception to this is in Cornish waters where a MLS of 25cm is enforced by local byelaw. There is no formal … Read more assessment of the North Sea stock but analysis of survey data suggests that fishing mortality is below and stock size above sustainable reference points. Choose seine caught fish where possible, as this method of capture causes less damage to the seabed and is the best choice for lemon sole from the North Sea. Avoid eating immature fish (below 25cm) and if eating fresh from the sea, avoid its breeding period, April-August.