Although pouting is commonly occuring in the North Sea, there is no fishery targeting it. Pouting is mostly landed 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). from the mixed bottom trawl fishery on roundfish, like cod.
Although there are no stock estimates done for pouting, it is the general impression that the fishing pressure is low and the stocks are not being overfished. Pouting is moderately vulnerable to fishing pressure. The mixed bottom trawl fishery, in which pouting is caught, has relatively much bycatch. Unwanted species are discarded. These discards hardly survive. There is also interaction between the fishing gear and the seabed, which disrupts the seabed. With prolonged disruption of the seabed on a large scale, it can cause a change in the species composition and richness in sea. Because there is no targeted fishery on pouting and it is a commonly occuring species, there is no separate fishery management for it.