Survival of discarded sole in inshore trawl fishery 2016/17 - Fisheries Science Partnership

The objective of this project was to assess and estimate the survivability of sole caught in the Solent (ICES Subarea VIId) inshore otter trawl fishery. This project follows a previous study of the east coast (ICES Subarea IVc) inshore otter trawl fishery and was designed to improve the confidence in a fishery wide estimate of sole survival in inshore trawling. There is a strong perception from the fishing industry that sole has a high survival rate in this fishery and, where sole quotas are restricted, landing undersized sole could potentially risk a premature end to the fishing season. Under the landing obligation, all sole (*Solea solea*) catches must be landed unless an exemption, based on scientific evidence demonstrating high survival, is awarded.