Flatfish (bycatch)

A variety of flatfish caught in a trawl. Species pictured include plaice, witch, lemon sole and dab. These were all captured in a Nephrops trawl and any that are too small to be landed will be thrown back to sea (discarded). Because flatfish do not have a gas-filled swimbladder like roundfish, they can better survive being discarded, but the mortality rate is still very high.