Advice and Scenarios Database



Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) in Subarea 4 (North Sea) and Subdivision 20 (Skagerrak)
StockCode (Assessment Component)
ple.27.420
Assessment Year
2025
Stock Category
1
Purpose
Advice
Published
Stock Assessment Key
19875
Link to Advice Sheet
https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.27202779.v1






Catch scenarios


Basis
Total catch (ple.27.420 plaice stock)
Projected landings (ple.27.420 plaice stock)
Projected discards (ple.27.420 plaice stock)*
Ftotal (ages 2–6) (ple.27.420 plaice stock)
Fprojected landings (ages 2–6) (ple.27.420 plaice stock)
Fprojected discards (ages 2–6) (ple.27.420 plaice stock)
Spawning-stock biomass (SSB) (ple.27.420 plaice stock)
% SSB change (ple.27.420 plaice stock)**
% advice change (ple.27.420 plaice stock)^
Total catch (Plaice caught in Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20)^^
Projected landings (Plaice caught in Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20)
Projected discards (Plaice caught in Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20)*
% change in projected catches (Plaice caught in Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20)^^^
% total allowable catch (TAC) change (Plaice caught in Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20)^^^
2026 2026 2026 2026 2026 2026 2027 2027 2026 2026 2026 2026 2026 2026
(t) (t) (t) (ratio) (ratio) (ratio) (t) (%) (%) (t) (t) (t) (%) (%)
ICES Basis Advice
Maximum sustainable yield (MSY) approach: FMSY 164129 85387 78742 0.123 0.043 0.08 1348073 2.6 -7.3 163951 85343 78607 -7.2 -7.2
Other scenarios
FMSY upper 186721 97126 89595 0.141 0.049 0.092 1327669 1.1 5.5 186543 97082 89460 5.6 5.6
FMSY lower 127001 66047 60954 0.094 0.033 0.061 1381109 5.2 -28 126823 66003 60819 -28 -28
F=0# 0 0 0 0 0 0 1495494 13.9 -100 0 0 0 -100 -100
FPA 186721 97126 89595 0.141 0.049 0.092 1327669 1.1 5.5 186543 97082 89460 5.6 5.6
SSB (2027) =Blim 1285312 677246 608066 1.75 0.61 1.14 391695 -70 630 1285134 677202 607931 630 630
SSB (2027) =BPA = MSY Btrigger 1094972 574576 520396 1.28 0.44 0.84 544290 -59 520 1094794 574532 520261 520 520
F =F2025 54965 28565 26400 0.04 0.014 0.026 1445596 10.1 -69 54787 28521 26265 -69 -69




Symbol Footnotes
* Including below minimum size (BMS) landings, assuming recent discard rates (i.e. 2022–2024).
** SSB 2027 relative to SSB 2026.
# This scenario implies zero fishing in Division 7.d in the first quarter.
^ Projected catch of plaice stock in 2026 relative to the advised value for 2025, adding the proportion caught in Division 7.d (176 593 + 395 = 176 988 tonnes).
^^ Projected catches for plaice caught in Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20 in 2026 are calculated as the total catch advice for the stock (164 129 tonnes) reduced by the projected catch of the ple.27.420 stock to be taken in Division 7.d when fishing at catch advice level (44 tonnes landing + 135 tonnes discards).
^^^ Projected catch of plaice caught in Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20 in 2026 relative to the corresponding value in 2025 and to the 2025 TAC for Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20 (both 176 593 tonnes).