It is unclear how the stock of pharaoh cuttlefish is doing. There are very few reliable data or stock estimates available, and fishing pressure is high in parts of its distribution range. Due to their rapid growth, pharaoh cuttlefish can recover relatively quickly, but their reproductive behaviour and spawning migrations also make them vulnerable to overfishing.
The impact of the fishing method varies considerably between fisheries. Handlines and pots are selective and are likely to have little impact on vulnerable (ETP) species, the ecosystem and the seabed; these methods are therefore also the only ones that frequently score green. Trammel nets and especially trawls can result in high bycatch of vulnerable species, damage to the seabed and disruption of the ecosystem. There is often insufficient information about the precise ecological impact, but the risks associated with trawl fisheries are clearly greater than those associated with handlines and pots.
Management of pharaoh cuttlefish is generally insufficient. In many areas, reliable data, stock assessments and effective monitoring are lacking, making sustainable management difficult. Measures to address illegal fishing, overfishing and impacts on the ecosystem are often limited or insufficiently enforced.