The emperor bass is a deep-sea fish that grows very slowly and has a low reproductive rate. This makes the species extremely sensitive to overfishingOverfishing:
There is so much fish caught that the size of the stock has diminished 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. . The emperor bass can reach an age of up to 149 (!) years. In many places, this species of fish is 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. and populations have collapsed.
This species lives near seamounts with fragile bottom fauna such as deep-water corals and sponges, which are very sensitive to bottomBottom trawls:
A fishing technique in which cone-shaped nets terminating in a codend are dragged through the water column or along the bottom. trawling. This fishery causes irreversible damage in these areas.
The species occurs worldwide and is managed in some places, such as New Zealand, but not in most places. The managementManagement:
The regulations surrounding fisheries and aquaculture that ensure that production is carried out within legal frameworks and that sustainability can be assured. of this species is not effective.