English Channel

Separating the southern coast of England from the northern coast of France, the English Channel covers an area of 75,000 km2. Known in French as La Manche (the sleeve), because of its shape, the Channel narrows from west to east from a maximum of 180 km to a minimum of 34 km. Its average depth decreases eastward from 120 to 45m. Its seabed is predominantly sediments, but with rocky areas off the Normandy coast around the Channel Islands, Brittany and Cornwall.

 

The English Channel is one of the busiest sea routes in the world for shipping with major ports on both sides (Southampton and Le Havre) and much through traffic to and from ports in mainland Europe and south-eastern England. Its seabed, particularly at the eastern end, is a key source of marine aggregates (gravel and sand) for the UK construction industry.

 

The fisheries within the Channel are broadly divided into two management units: eastern and western. Information on the status of the stocks has been derived from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) who have a commitment to undertake annual stock assessments in European waters.

 

In the eastern Channel the main fisheries are small-scale fisheries working within the coastal zone (0 - 12 miles). Beam trawl fisheries target sole and take a plaice bycatch, trammel nets and otter trawls are also used to catch sole. Cod catches originate from offshore trawlers and inshore gillnetters. Whiting is also caught. During the winter there is a pelagic fishery for herring and a pair trawl fishery for bass. There are also longline fisheries for dogfish, conger eel, bass and ling. A dredge fishery for scallops and a pot fishery for whelks. The main countries exploiting these stocks are UK, France and Belgium.

 

Effort in the flatfish fisheries has consistently increased from 1975 until the 1990s, where it reached a plateau. The plaice stock is currently considered outside safe biological limits. Although the sole stocks are considered to be within safe biological limits, exploitation of the stock is considered to be excessive and unsustainable. The status of the whiting stocks is uncertain whilst the cod stock is outside safe biological limits. In February 2004, the European Union introduced new regulations aimed at facilitating cod stock recovery over the next five to ten years. These measures included controls for the setting of total allowable catch (TAC), fishing effort limitation (number of days at sea and gear restrictions) and restrictions on landing ports, stowage and transport of cod.

 

Fisheries for demersal species such as cod, whiting, sole and plaice are conducted using otter and beam trawls. These are principally undertaken by Belgium, France, Ireland and the UK. Recently cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) have become an important winter landing from trawlers. A trawl fishery for anglerfish (Lophius budegassa and L.piscatorius) has also developed in the western Channel on the shelf edge. There are also pelagic trawl fisheries for mackerel and sprat, a dredge fishery for scallops and clams and a pot fishery for crustaceans such as lobsters, edible crabs and spider crabs.

 

Anglerfish stocks are considered to be harvested outside safe biological limits and a 10% reduction in fishing mortality has been recommended by ICES. In August 2003, this advice was revised and a small increase in the total allowable catch was recommended following strong recruitment as a short term measure to reduce discarding. The TAC for 2004 was increased by 32%. As with many other cod stocks, those of the western Channel are also outside safe biological limits and a 90% reduction has been recommended. However, these stocks were not included in the recent European Union regulations aimed at the long term recovery of cod. Plaice and sole stocks are outside safe biological limits with a large reduction in fishing mortality called for. A recovery plan for sole stocks has been recommended that includes a zero catch. In contrast whiting is considered to be within safe biological limits, but fishing mortality should not be increased. Knowledge of the mollusc and crustacean populations is poor and there is little production and effort data available. Consequently it is difficult to estimate the status of these stocks.

 

Particular environmental problems caused by fisheries in the English Channel include: