Clarke said a lack of data on stock levels, scientific advice to reduce catches and concerns about the fisheries management had led the charity to move gurnard off its eat list and on to its cautionary listing.
"Fishery management measures that sufficiently reduce catches are urgently needed to reverse the fortunes of this fish; if such measures cannot be agreed and implemented quickly, a complete moratorium on fishing for sea bass may well be necessary in the foreseeable future".
But the restrictions are predicted to reduce catches by only 60% for pelagic trawlers, 22% for demersal vessels, which fish along the bottom of the sea, and 6% for hook and line fisheries, well below the 80% reduction urged by ICES.
In an attempt to reduce catches of juvenile fish in the Icelandic Nephrops norvegicus fisheries, the mesh sizes in the upper part of a commercial Nephrops trawl were increased and the netting hung to force wide mesh opening.
Over fishing grounds where fishermen need a more selective trawl to harvest flatfishes, the experimental gear tested could provide fishermen a technique to reduce catches of non-target species.
The New England Fishery Management Council decided to scuttle a rule that penalized scallopers through reduced catch allotments if they returned early from a trip.
Among the measures being contemplated by the agency are increased regulation of net mesh sizes, reduced catch limits, and seasonal and area closures of some fishing grounds, he said.
Seismic surveys, studies show, negatively affect the fishing industry, reducing catch rates for cod, haddock, and rockfish.
Human consequences of wildlife loss In Thailand, according to a government assessment, prolonged overfishing has reduced "catch per unit effort" by more than 90% in the past half-century -- meaning Thai boats must do ten times the fishing, often over longer distances, for the same fish catch.
