Study for the Revision of the plaice box - Draft Final Report

This project has attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of the fisheries management measure known as the “Plaice Box” (PB) for the conservation of plaice and other species of marine organisms in the south-eastern North Sea. The study provides an inventory of existing information and collects new material on the effects of the PB on the conservation of plaice and the impact of the PB on various components of the commercial fishing fleets. Based on an analysis of key processes that affect the impact of the PB, modifications will be explored to improve the positive effect on the conservation of plaice and other species of marine organisms, including catches and bycatches of other marketable fish. An economic assessment of the consequences of those modifications, in terms of their cost-effectiveness, and implications for profitability of the activity is presented. Finally, the data requirements for future evaluations of the effects of the PB on conservation is discussed.