From the North, Celtic and Irish seas to the Atlantic Ocean, Europe’s north-western waters harbour a rich array of life. Can you tell a hake from a herring, a sardine from a sole, or a cod from a Common Fisheries Policy? Test your fish knowledge with our quiz.
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0/6, 1/6 and 2/6: You missed a few, but you could still become a fisheries expert. 3/6 and 4/6: Pretty good, but you have room to grow. 5/6 and 6/6: Congratulations, you’re an expert!
Join our campaign to learn more about European fisheries, and help us put pressure on decision-makers to end overfishing in the EU.
# social text : Can you identify the %23deepsea fish below? Do you know who sets fishing limits in the European Union? Test your fish smarts with @Pew_EU’s quiz %23CFPreality
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? With its narrow, elongated body, pointed head, and sharp teeth, this fish is one of the emblematic species of the deep sea. What’s its name? (!img src="{_imgurl}q1_16x9.jpg" !)iStockphoto
- Viperfish
+ Black scabbardfish
! The black scabbardfish lives at depths of 200 to 1,600 metres. With its dark metallic colour and eel-like physique, this creature swims up to mid-water at night to feed on crustaceans, cephalopods, and small fishes. Deep-sea species, including the black scabbardfish, grow slowly, mature late in life, and have a low reproduction rate, making them particularly vulnerable to overfishing. Setting fishing limits in line with scientific advice is crucial to protecting these unique stocks.
- Roundnose grenadier
- Goblin shark
? True or false: Fishing limits for all member states of the European Union (EU) are set every month by the European Commission in Brussels. (!img src="{_imgurl}q2_16x9.jpg" !)European Union
- True
+ False
! The Agriculture and Fisheries Council—which includes fisheries ministers from each EU member state—meets every autumn in Brussels and Luxembourg to set total allowable catches (TACs) for the following calendar year. The Council bases its decisions upon an initial proposal made by the European Commission, which should be, but is not always, in line with scientists’ recommendations.
Watch our whiteboard animation to learn more about the TAC-setting process.
? In which European waters can we find these mackerel? (!img src="{_imgurl}q3_16x9.jpg" !)Wild Wonders of Europe
- North Sea
- Celtic Seas
- Cantabrian Sea and Atlantic Iberian waters
+ All of the above
! Mackerel, like many fish, are very mobile and pay little heed to geopolitical borders! Fish are a resource that EU member states and neighbouring countries—such as Norway, Iceland, and Russia—must share responsibly to keep stocks in a healthy state.
? Europeans eat a lot of seafood. What are the three species they consume most? (!img src="{_imgurl}q4_16x9.jpg" !)Corey Arnold
- Sardine, mackerel, and squid
+ Tuna, cod, and salmon
! The tuna and cod Europeans consume are mostly wild-caught, while most of the salmon sold is typically farmed. Fish consumption on the Continent reached 25.11 kilograms per capita in 2015. However, Europeans get a large proportion of the fish they eat from other countries. In fact, the EU is now the largest importer of seafood products in the world.
- Shrimp, herring, and hake
- Seabass, mussel, and sole
? Which of these fish stocks was severely overfished for decades, leading scientists to advise zero catches in the North Sea in the mid-2000s? (!img src="{_imgurl}q5_16x9.jpg" !)Corey Arnold
+ Cod
! North Sea cod is so popular that it has been overexploited since at least the 1970s. According to scientists, the population bottomed out in 2006, causing cultural and economic hardship throughout the region. Thanks to stringent conservation and management measures, the stock has begun to bounce back, although it remains under intense fishing pressure and is not yet fully rebuilt.
- Sardine
- Sole
- Mackerel
? According to the law, the European Union must end overfishing in its waters by... (!img src="{_imgurl}q6_16x9.jpg" !)iStockphoto
- 2020
- 2030
- 2050
+ 2015 where possible, and 2020 at the latest
! A set of rules called the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, which was reformed in 2013, requires that all stocks be fished sustainably by 2015 where possible and 2020 at the latest. Restoring fish stocks to sustainable levels through science-based management will benefit the marine environment, citizens, and fishermen.
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