Anchovy stocks are doing well in the Ligurian Sea, the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, the Gulf of Lion, the Aegean Sea, northern Spanish waters and the Black Sea. In all these areas, stocks are at or above sustainable levels, and current fishing pressure is low enough to maintain healthy stocks. Due to the species’ rapid growth and early maturity, it is unlikely that fishing disrupts the age structure of the stocks.
Fishing with purse seines has low bycatch of vulnerable (ETP) species, little discard and causes no damage to the seabed. Releasing entire catches from the net (slipping) can, however, result in additional mortality. Fishing with midwater otter trawls also causes no damage to the seabed and has low levels of bycatch and discards. However, the risk of lost fishing gear is higher, and fish escaping from the net may experience additional mortality. The consequences of removing large quantities of anchovy from the ecosystem for the food web are not yet fully understood. Purse seines are therefore the better choice.
Management is considered largely effective. Stocks are well monitored, and management takes place through the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and, for EU countries, the Common Fisheries Policy. There are still areas for improvement, including the protection of vulnerable species, slipping and the enforcement of certain regulations, but overall management is sufficient to maintain stocks at sustainable levels. Some of these fisheries are MSC-certified.