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Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus)

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Common name - Anchovy
Scientific name - Engraulis encrasicolus
Rating
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Caught at sea Pelagic trawl, Purse seine
Capture Area North East Atlantic  FAO 27
Stock Area Bay of Biscay
Stock Detail VIII
Summary
The Bay of Biscay anchovy fishery re-opened in July 2010. The closure of the fishery has led to an increase in the abundance of older fish and has increased the biomass above precautionary levels and is now assessed as having full reproductive capacity. However, the actual fishing mortality is not defined. Anchovy are also a species at or near the base of the food chain and the impact of their large-scale removal on the marine ecosystem is poorly understood.
Biology
Anchovy is the only European member of the Engraulidae family. A relative of the herring, it is a small, short-lived, schooling fish feeding on plankton. In summer, it moves inshore to spawn between June and August in the southern North Sea and the Channel, and April to September in the Mediterranean. In winter, it moves into deeper waters. Anchovy can attain a length of 20cm. Anchovies are prey for other fish and marine mammals.
Stock Information
The fishery for anchovy in the Bay of Biscay was closed in 2005 following the collapse of the fishery. The collapse is likely due to a combination of factors, including long periods of overfishing and a failure of recruitment during 2004. The fishery reopened in July 2010 with a noticeable recovery; the stock biomass is now within the precautionary limits set by ICES. The stock biomass is assessed as having full reproductive capacity in 2011 and is now the fourth highest since 1987, indicating a recovery from low levels during the period 2002-2009. Recruitment in 2011 is the highest since 2001. Fishing mortaility however is undefined. ICES advises that catches from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012 should be no more than 47,000 t.
Capture Information
The main methods for catching anchovy in this area are by pelagic trawl and purse seine. The Spanish fleet operates in Divisions VIIIc and VIIIb in spring, while the French fleets operate in VIIIa in summer and autumn and in Divisions VIIIb in winter and summer. Both fleets have reduced in size since 2003 and the closure of the fishery in 2006. Purse seining is the most selective fishing method as species specific shoals can be targeted; pelagic trawls are associated with higher incidences of bycatch. Both methods can be associated with cetacean bycatch.
References
ICES Advice 2011, Book 7
Alternatives
(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)
Read what the consumer pages of the Good Fish Guide say about this species.