www.stateofthecoast.scot
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Sandeel Stock Status
Key Findings
- Sandeels (Family Ammodytidae) are demersal shoaling fish, with a distinct diurnal behaviour where they bury themselves in the sand at night and during winter months and forage for planktonic prey in the pelagic waters during daylight hours. Five species are commonly found throughout the North Sea.
- Most commercial landings are of Raitt’s sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) and are industrially exploited for reduction to meal and oil and locally harvested for bait in recreational fisheries and small-scale longline fisheries.
- Sandeels are a salient component of the food web as one of the abundant and preferred prey for several marine predators including mackerel, whiting, cod, salmon, other economically important fish species, seabirds and marine mammals. They are considered a cornerstone of the Scottish marine ecosystem.
- In March 2024, following consultation, it was announced that all Scottish waters and English waters of the North Sea would be closed to sandeel fishing. This was due to evidence that declining sandeel populations are having an impact on seabird breeding success. However the EU has disputed the ban, arguing that it breaches TCA fisheries provisions. The arbitration for this dispute is ongoing (as of March 2025) (Ares & Fella, 2025).
Figure 1: NMPi Sandeel - spawning and nursery grounds (Coull et al 1998)
Figure 2: ICES Stock assessment for Whiting
Notes
Linked Information Sheets
Key sources of Information
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Status
Live - Next update 06/03/2026
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Telephone: 07971149117
E-mail: ian.hay@stateofthecoast.scot
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