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Common Dab (Bycatch)

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General

Flatfish

Flatfish belong to the order Pleuronectoformes. There are more than 500 species of flatfish. Flatfish live on and partly in the seabed, only the halibut swims higher up in the water column. Flatfish have an oblong, flat shape and their eyes on one side. The upper-side, the eye-side, of the flatfish has a camouflage colour and the underside is white. It may seem like flatfish swim on their belly, however, in fact, they are laying on their side. Flatfish larvae have a regular fish shape, with eyes on each side and a vertical swimming mode. After 6 weeks, one of the eyes migrates upwards, over the head to the other side. From now own, the flatfish swims with their eyes up and their blind side facing the seabed.

The best known flatfish species in the Netherlands are sole and plaice. Other flatfish species that occur in the North Sea are the common dab, halibut, turbot, brill, European flounder and lemon sole. Flatfish are caught with beam trawls, pulse trawls or demersal otter trawls.

 

Common Dab (Bycatch)

Common dab is only found in the northeast Atlantic Sea. Dab is part of the large group of flatfish with the eyes on the right-hand side. This side is pale brown to greyish brown of colour, with darker blotches and speckles. The left-hand side is white. Common dab reaches up tot 60 cm of length and 12 years of age. Dab is a common bycatch species in the targeted fishery for plaice and sole.

Common Dab (Bycatch)

Limanda limanda
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, north-east (FAO 27)
Deelgebieden: Skagerrak and Kattegat

Farming- / Catch method

Bycatch – fishing method: any gear type

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Explanation assessment

Common dab is mainly caught as bycatchBycatch:
Species caught next to species targeted for fishery. By-catches can consist of non-commercial species and species that are too small, and can be kept (this part is sometimes called by-product) or thrown back into the sea (discards). 
on plaice. This species is not really valued as a consumption species and often discarded for it’s low market value. If the common dab would get a higher market value, the chance is high that the amount of discards would decrease.

The management of common dab is limited. There is a catch [limitation] TACTAC:
Total Allowable Catch: catch limitations for commercially important fish species made by the Council of Fisheries Ministers on the basis of scientific advice. 
for dab, combined with common flounder and lemon sole. The amount that is landed has been lower than the TAC for years. There is no minimum landing-sizeLanding size:
The length of the landed fish.
for dab.

Measures are needed to limit bycatch and the environmental effects. Fishing with a larger mesh size can be a solution to bycatch.

If you want to know more about bycatch, check www.bijvangstwijzer.nl

 

Common Dab (Bycatch)

Limanda limanda
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, north-east (FAO 27)
Deelgebieden: Skagerrak and Kattegat

Farming- / Catch method

Gillnets

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Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

Scientific data about common dab is coming more and more available. The stocks of common dab seem to be at a good level. Common dab is mainly caught as bycatchBycatch:
Species caught next to species targeted for fishery. By-catches can consist of non-commercial species and species that are too small, and can be kept (this part is sometimes called by-product) or thrown back into the sea (discards). 
.

Standing want fishery uses a standing net in the water, where passing fish get caught by their gills, therefore it is also called a gillnet. This method is much more selective than a beamBeam trawls:
A technique in which a pit net at the top is kept open by a horizontal tube (the tree). Ticklerchains are tossed through the bottom to hunt the fish into the net.  
trawl and also has minimal damage to the seabed. A problem however is that porpoises can get entangled in the nets. There is little information about the other bycatch.

The management of common dab is limited. There is a catch [limitation] TACTAC:
Total Allowable Catch: catch limitations for commercially important fish species made by the Council of Fisheries Ministers on the basis of scientific advice. 
for dab, combined with common flounder and lemon sole. The amount that is landed has been lower than the TAC for years. There is no minimum landing-sizeLanding size:
The length of the landed fish.
for dab.

 

Common Dab (Bycatch)

Limanda limanda
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, north-east (FAO 27)
Deelgebieden: Skagerrak and Kattegat

Farming- / Catch method

Bottom otter trawl

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Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

Scientific data about common dab is coming more and more available. The stocks of common dab seem to be at a good level.

Common dab is mainly caught as bycatchBycatch:
Species caught next to species targeted for fishery. By-catches can consist of non-commercial species and species that are too small, and can be kept (this part is sometimes called by-product) or thrown back into the sea (discards). 
on plaice. This species is not really valued as a consumption species and often discarded for it’s low market value. If the common dab would get a higher market value, the chance is high that the amount of discards would decrease.

DemersalDemersal otter trawls:
A technique in which conical nets are dragged over the ground and are held open by large, square 'otter planks'. The planks also work as a plough, in which fish are hunted into the nets.
otter trawls often have much bycatchBycatch:
Species caught next to species targeted for fishery. By-catches can consist of non-commercial species and species that are too small, and can be kept (this part is sometimes called by-product) or thrown back into the sea (discards). 
. Bottom otter trawls damage the seabed considerably, but less than the traditional beamBeam trawls:
A technique in which a pit net at the top is kept open by a horizontal tube (the tree). Ticklerchains are tossed through the bottom to hunt the fish into the net.  
trawl.

The management of common dab is limited. There is a catch [limitation] TACTAC:
Total Allowable Catch: catch limitations for commercially important fish species made by the Council of Fisheries Ministers on the basis of scientific advice. 
for dab, combined with common flounder and lemon sole. The amount that is landed has been lower than the TAC for years. There is no minimum landing-sizeLanding size:
The length of the landed fish.
for dab.

 

ASC label

Fish with the ASC label is farmed in a sustainable manner.

MSC label

Fish with the MSC label is caught sustainably.

Good fish

This fish is not being overfished or is being responsibly farmed, with minimal impact on the environment.

Second choice

This fish is a second choice. There are still some improvements to be made in this fishery or fish farm.

Avoid

Do not buy this fish. It's being overfished or the way it's farmed or caught has a negative impact on the environment.

Welfare

There is fish available of this species that is farmed or caught using high welfare standards.

GlobalG.A.P.

GlobalG.A.P. certified farms are doing a step in the right direction in terms of sustainability. A few species with this label are getting a better score on the VISwijzer.

Organic

Organic standards are the strictest when it comes to fish feed. They also require certain measures for animal well-being.