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	Flatfish Fishery in the North Sea The major fishery for flatfish in the North Sea is a mixed fishery for plaice and sole with the twin beam trawl. The twin beam trawl is used by virtually all Dutch and Belgian flatfish vessels and a large part of the British and German flatfish fleet. The Netherlands is the main operator in the North Sea flatfish fishery having a share of about 45 % of the plaice TAC (after the swap) and 75 % of the sole TAC. Beam trawling is a very effective fishing method for catching flatfish. The beam trawl is an envelope of netting held open horizontally by a steel tube on shoes. Before the net opens, the beam trawl is rigged with tickler chains. These chains are designed to disturb the flatfishes from the seabed.
Spatial distribution of beam trawl effort At the request of the Dutch Fishboard, the Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research has carried out a research project on the spatial distribution of Dutch beam trawl fishery in the North Sea from 1993 - 1996. The micro-distribution of a sample of the Dutch beam trawl fleet ( 10 % ) was registred by an automatic position recording system that was connected to the navigator (Decca, GPS, DGPS).	Averange beam trawl intensity in the North Sea a year 1993-1996 (scale 3 x 3 miles)
The project showed that beam trawl effort is concentrated in an area of about 50.000 square miles in the southern and southerneast North Sea. This is about 40 % of the total North Sea surface area. Beam trawl effort is not distributed randomly over the fished area. Using their experience fishermen visit their best fishing spots regulary. The fishing pattern shows a strong similarity over the years.	Fishing effort in ralation to the fish area 1993-1996 (scale 3x3 miles)

On average:

About 70% of beam-trawl effort is concentrated in 20 % of the fished area.
Over 70 % of the fished area is fished less than once a year.
About 40 % of the fished area is fished less than once every four years.