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Dieren en planten

Flatfish   Plaice   Reproduction of fish   Nurseries   Marine fauna   Sea fish   

Water en land

Sea regions   North Sea (biotope)   

Mens en Milieu

Fisheries by sort   Flatfish fisheries   Protected areas   Plaice box   

Plaice box

The plaice box is an area approximately 40,000 square kilometres large, situated north of the Dutch and German Wadden Islands and west of the Danish Wadden Islands. Since 1994, it has been closed for the whole year to beam trawlers with a capacity greater than 300 HP. The plaice box was established in 1989 to protect undersized plaice by closing the area to large cutters during the second and third quarters of the year.

  • Will it work?

    The fishery biologists expected that by managing an area well, there would be a 25% increase in the plaice stock in the North Sea. In its first year the number of plaice doubled; the amount of juveniles grew by approximately 40%. Partially closing this fishing area therefore had produced an initial positive effect. However a rapid decline started in 1992, which was ascribed to a decrease in the growth rate of plaice. Reports from the beginning of 1997 did show that the number of juvenile plaice in the plaice box has remained higher than before the box was established. If the plaice box had not been established, the spawning stock would probably have been even lower.
    The fishermen use the plaice box as an example of failing nvironmental policy. The goals were not reached and all kinds of related effects occurred that did not make the catch of plaice any better. For example, since the plaice box was established, lots of small flatfish vessels have joined the fleet that are allowed to fish in the region.

  • Real time closure

    In 2004, a region 13 by 13 miles bordering on the plaice box was temporarily closed on a volunteer basis for plaice fisheries for the first time. This new regulation, called Real Time Closure, the Product Organization makes an agreement with the fishermen.The Product Organization must also do the supervision, whereby fines can be given among the fishermen. This regulation was established by the fishermen themselves in order to be able to react quickly to changing circumstances. In that way, the fishermen try to find a solution for the problem that regulations based upon long-range studies often come too late or are even out of date. The agreement was made in 2004 because there were suddenly lots of young plaice being caught.

  • Also protection of the coastal strook

    The strip of coastal water (up to 12 sea miles from the first row of dunes) falls under protection since young flatfish also grow up here. This strip is known under the terms '12-mile zone'. Just as in the plaice box, heavy cutters (more than 300 HP) are not allowed to fish here.