the SUMARiS project are currently collecting specific data on the geographic distribution, reproduction, and fishing of several ray species in the English Channel and the North Sea.
The goal of this research is to assess the state of the resource and propose sustainable, cross-border management of ray stocks. In the meantime, we can already learn to tell them apart based on characteristics unique to each species: shape, color, patterns, etc. NAUSICAA and the SUMARiS project partners have created an identification guide to help you choose the right species!
Did you know?
The skate species found in this area are caught either using various types of bottom trawls or with nets. For many years, their morphological similarities and the lack of precise information on each species led to the implementation of general regulations for all skates: the same minimum size, the same quota, etc. Thanks to various studies, in 2018, for the first time, the Council of the European Union voted on a fishing quota for the undulate ray (
Raja undulata) and a “All ray species” quota.
