European Fishery MLS

In European Union member states, there exists a standard set of minimum landing sizes (MLS) for all major species of finfish and shellfish. These MLS are set under EU Council Regulation 850/98.

Species Image MLS[1] MLS Skagerrak/Kattegat
  • Cod
  • Gadus morhua
350 mm 300 mm
  • Haddock
  • Melanogrammus aeglefinus
300 mm 270 mm
  • Saithe (Coalfish)
  • Pollachius virens
350 mm 300 mm
  • Pollock
  • Pollachius pollachius
300 mm
  • European Hake
  • Merluccius merluccius
270 mm 300 mm
  • Megrim
  • Lepidorhombus spp.
200 mm 250 mm
  • Sole
  • Soleidae or solea
240 mm 240 mm
  • Plaice
  • Pleuronectes platessa
270 mm 270 mm
  • Whiting
  • Merlangius merlangus
270 mm 230 mm
  • Common ling
  • Molva molva
630 mm
  • Blue ling
  • Molva dipterygiall
700 mm
  • Bass
  • Dicentrarchus labrax
420 mm
  • Norway lobster
  • Nephrops norvegicus
85 mm[2] 130 (40) mm [3]
  • Mackerel
  • Scomber spp.
200 mm (300 mm in North Sea) 200 mm
  • Herring
  • Clupea harengus
200 mm 180 mm
  • Horse mackerel
  • Trachurus spp.
150 mm 150 mm
  • Sardine
  • Sardina pilchardus
110 mm
87 mm[4] 220 mm (78 mm)
Male: 130 mm

Female: 120 mm

40 mm
40 mm
38 mm
35 mm
  • Clam
  • Venus verruosa
40 mm
60 mm
100 mm
25 mm
25 mm
65 mm
45 mm
750 grams
1250 mm or 25 kg lower mandible
700 mm or 6.4 kg
95 mm
  • Deepwater rose shrimp
  • Parapenaeus longirostris [es]
22 mm[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Minimum Conservation Reference Sizes (MCRS) in UK waters". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  2. ^ There are various MLS for prawns depending on the area in which they are caught. Common MLS are carapace lengths of 25 mm or 20 mm combined with a total length of 85 mm or 70 mm. See here Archived 2006-12-09 at the Wayback Machine for full details.
  3. ^ The MLS for prawns is a minimum total length of 130 mm with a minimum carapace length of 40 mm.
  4. ^ a b Size given is for minimum carapace length. No minimum total length is stipulated.


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