SUMARIS : Final conference and results

After 3 years, the Interreg SUMARiS project, came to an end. During the final conference in late September 2020, the partners proposed a sustainable and cross-border management strategy for ray stocks in the Channel and the North Sea.

The project has had a remarkable impact in 3 main areas : it strengthened the fishery knowledge of the different species of rays in the Channel and North Sea, especially through experimental survival tests on French, Belgian and English gillnetters and trawlers; it successfully raised awareness among the entire fishery sector of good practices and the proper identification of rays and skates, in particular thanks to training sessions and communication activities; and finally, it achieved to develop a Joint Strategy, based both on scientific work and European consultations, for a common management of rays and skates. A summary of all the European, national and local management measures and customs, in particular regarding the Minimum Landing Size, is available here.