The latest assessment of this fishery was in 2016.
The status of the stock of Atlantic bonito off the Portuguese coast is unclear. There is insufficient data to assess whether current fishing pressure is sustainable.
In fisheries using shore-operated xávega nets (beach seines), the impact on vulnerable (ETP) species is insufficiently known, although large numbers of small cetaceans are sometimes caught in the nets. Discard rates and mortality are high. The fishery is unlikely to cause significant damage to the ecosystem or seabed. Xávega is a traditional small-scale fishing method, but scores less favourably due to the high discard rate.
The management of this small-scale fishery is considered to be of limited effectiveness. There is insufficient data and no reliable stock assessment to manage the fishery effectively.