Seafood Results

Summary

Brill is a benthic flatfish found in the east Atlantic from Morocco to Iceland, and also occurs in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Brill is caught as bycatch in other fisheries targeting plaice and sole and other demersal fish. Around 75% of brill landed into the UK are from inshore waters, 0-6 nautical miles from shore and beam-trawling, which is used to land plaice and sole, accounts for 10% of the total fishing effort in the Celtic Sea. Brill are also landed with fixed nets and demersal trawls, though in lesser quantities and brill is rarely discarded because of their high market prices.

Brill caught by trammel nets and beam and bottom trawls in the UK Northeast Atlantic is Not Recommended, due to concerns over impacts on the target species, bycatch and management effectiveness.

Brill in the Northeast Atlantic is thought to consist of a single stock, but further research is needed to determine whether there are discrete subpopulations. Information on the population is limited brill, but it is currently believed to be healthy.

European demersal fisheries are characterized multi-gears, multi-species and multi-fleet fisheries that are technically and biologically complex. Bycatch is high in fisheries landing brill, though many species are retained. Several species of IUCN Threatened and Endangered species are caught in the trammel and trawl fisheries that also catch brill. Additionally, marine mammal bycatch is a concern in bottom gillnet fisheries, and known interactions occur with harbour porpoises, common dolphins, and grey seals.

While management measures, such as annual catch limits, are in place they currently appear ineffective for the trawl fishery as overfishing continues to occur for many stocks in the region. Fewer main species in gillnet fisheries are experiencing overfishing and management is considered moderately effective.

All fisheries have an overall moderate impact on ocean habitats and ecosystems, but the bottom trawl fisheries cause more damage to seafloor habitats than the gillnet fisheries

Learn more about harvest methods

• Bottom trawl
• Trammel net