Spawning closures: ecological and economic trade-offs in management of mixed demersal flatfish fisheries in the North Sea

The contribution of spawning closures to sustainable management of North Sea flatfish fisheries is explored using a spatial and temporal explicit model of four target species (sole, plaice, turbot and brill) and two bycatch species (cod, rays). Seasonal patterns in fishing effort and partial fishing mortality rates per day at sea by age group and area are estimated to quantify the effect of different spawning closure scenarios for sole and plaice on the exploitation pattern (F-at-age).