Blackspot seabream

Blackspot seabream in the coastal waters of the Azores is being caught in a small scale fishery. Data on the stockStock:
The fish of a particular species reproducing in the same area in the same period.  of blackspot seabream are not available. This species is very vulnerableto [fishing pressure].

The main fishing method is handlinesHandlines and pole-lines:
A collective name for pole lines, jigs and troll lines. Hand lines and pole lines are used on a small scale most of the time and are relatively selective. unwanted by-catch have a high survival rate because they can be thrown back immediately.   in deep water. This method has little bycatch of endangered or protected species. There is also little discarding of unwanted fish. Fishing with handlines has no negative effects on the ecosystem.

The management of the stock is largely effective, despite the lack of a good [stock estimate]. The fishery management in the Azores serves as an example for Europe. A whole set of measures provides for a sustainable fishery management. For example, fishing methods that damage the ecosystem are prohibited, there is large scale monitoring by independent observers, there are [MPAs] determined, there are minimum landing sizes and closed periods for the professional fishery.

Blackspot seabream lives in deep waters and is very vulnerable to [fishing pressure], because they reproduce slowly. A subpopulation can be fished in one season without a chance for recovery. The stocks are being overfishedOverfished:
A stock is overfished when the stock size has decreased so far that it can no longer produce a maximum sustainable yield. The size of the fish populations is insufficient to reproduce in the long term.  or stock data are unknown. The fishing mortality under young fish is very high in the deep sea fishery.

Blackspot seabream is caught as bycatch in the deep sea fishery on e.g. hake. Survivability of this bycatch is minimal and also young fish that escape through the meshes probably don’t survive because of the damage of the net.

There are no research programmes for blackspot seabream. According to ICES, all deep-sea species are currently outside of biological safe limits. There should be no fishery on these species untill the reference points for stock recovery are known.