Haddock

Several European fisheries on haddock have been MSC-certifiedMSC Certified:
Fisheries that comply with the Marine Stewardship Council assessment criteria and are certified. Fish products with the blue MSC label are caught by sustainable fisheries. since 2010. These fisheries fish on haddock stocks in the North Sea, Barents Sea, Norwegian Sea and the waters around Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard. It is for targeted fisheries, as well as mixed fisheries on cod, haddock and saithe. There are several fishing methods being used: [bottom otter trawl], longlinesLonglines (drifting):
A fishing method whereby a long main line (40-100 km long) with transverse lines with hooks with bait is expanded. The line floats on buoys in the water column. , [Danish seine], handlinesHandlines and pole-lines:
A collective name for pole lines, jigs and troll lines. Hand lines and pole lines are used on a small scale most of the time and are relatively selective. unwanted by-catch have a high survival rate because they can be thrown back immediately.  , gillnetsGillnets:
A fishing technique whereby passing fish get caught in the meshes with their gills. The net stands vertically on the bottom or hangs on buoys in the water column. The by-catch of species such as porpoises and dolphins is a problem related to gillnets. and [trammelnets].

The stock of haddock in the North Sea and the Skagerrak is doing well and is well within [biological safe limits]. The fishing mortality is under the [precautionary level] and the stockStock:
The fish of a particular species reproducing in the same area in the same period.  is not being overfishedOverfished:
A stock is overfished when the stock size has decreased so far that it can no longer produce a maximum sustainable yield. The size of the fish populations is insufficient to reproduce in the long term. .

The fishing method, [bottom otter trawl], had a negative effect on the ecosystem. There is 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).  and a part of this bycatch is discarded. These discards can be up to 50% of the catch. The bottom otter trawls also disturb the bottom life. Fishing with bottom trawls leads on the long term to a changed [species composition].

The haddock fishery in the North Sea and Skagerrak is jointly managed by the EU and Norway. A management plan started in 2008. Catch agreements have been made in this plan. Scientists help with determining the [catch limits].