Plaice | Good Fish Guide | The consumer guide to sustainable seafood

Common name - Plaice

Scientific name - Pleuronectes platessa

Average rating

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Consumer Information

Plaice are right-eyed, oval-shaped flatfish with characteristic red-orange spots and a pearly white underside. It's orange spots are an indication of freshness; brighter spots mean fresher fish. Found all around our shores down to considerable depths, plaice is a long-lived species and subject to high fishing pressure. Stocks of plaice are generally in a poor state. The most sustainable options are otter trawled from the Irish Sea, and otter trawled, gill or seine netted from the North Sea. Increase the sustainability of the plaice you eat by avoiding immature plaice below 30 cm and during their breeding season January to March. Alternatives to plaice are Lemon sole, dab, flounder and megrim.

Summary

Plaice is a long-lived and therefore vulnerable species that is subject to high fishing pressure. The state of plaice stocks around the UK vary. The best choices for plaice are fish caught from the North or Irish Seas, as these populations are healthy and fished at a rate which is not detrimental to the stock. However, as with all plaice fisheries, there are significant discard problems, with up to 87% of plaice caught being discarded in the case of the Irish Sea beam trawl fishery. Plaice are mainly caught with bottom towed gear which can have a damaging effect on the seabed; choose otter trawl caught fish or seine net caught fish where available. Flounder, lemon sole and dab are all good alternatives to plaice.

Alternatives

(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)

Dab
Flounder
Halibut, Atlantic
Halibut, Pacific
Sole, Dover sole, Common sole
Sole, Lemon
Turbot

Visit Fishonline, the website for the seafood industry, for more detailed information about this species.