Image: ©Doug Perrine
Common Name: Porbeagle
Scientific Name: *Lamna nasus
Description: The porbeagle (Lamna nasus) is a species of mackerel shark in the family Lamnidae, distributed widely in the cold and temperate marine waters of the North Atlantic. The porbeagle is an opportunistic hunter that preys mainly on bony fishes and cephalopods throughout the water column, including the bottom. Most commonly found over food-rich banks on the outer continental shelf, it makes occasional forays both close to shore and into the open ocean to a depth of 1,360 m (4,460 ft).
OSPAR Regions where it occurs: I, II, III, IV, V
OSPAR Regions where under threat and/or in decline: I, II, III, IV, V
2016 Implementation highlights
What is the latest status of the porbeagle shark?
The status assessment describes the latest changes in distribution, abundance and range of the feature, as well as any changes in the threats and pressures impacting the feature. The status assessments are updated regularly and inform OSPAR’s consideration of the effectiveness of the measures and actions that have been adopted and implemented by Contracting Parties.
Why is this feature included on the OSPAR List? |  | |
What protective measures and actions has OSPAR committed to taking? |  |  |
What actions have been implemented by OSPAR? |  |
Key message
The porbeagle is a prohibited species for commercial fishing under EU fishing regulations. ICES’ most recent assessment in 2019 considers that the status of its stocks is unknown. The species’ moderate intrinsic population growth rate qualified the porbeagle to be on the OSPAR List in 2008, since this rate allows only a slow recovery from depletion. This sensitivity to exploitation remains unchanged.
For more information, please visit our latest assessment
Condition
The biology of the porbeagle is well described for the Northwest Atlantic stock (Natanson et al. 2002), where the age-at-maturity is estimated at 8 and 13 years for males and females, respectively. Less information is available for the Northeast Atlantic, with estimated age-at-maturity of 7-8 years for males and approximately 20 years for females, showing them to be slow growing and late maturing (Hennache and Jung, 2010). The porbeagle has a low biological productivity with small litters, late age-at-maturity, and an estimated life span of 26 years in the North Atlantic. Population growth rate is low but it is likely countered by high juvenile survival rates to produce an overall moderate population growth rate in the North Atlantic of 0.052–0.081 (Dulvy et al. 2008).
For more information, please visit our latest assessment
Threats and impacts
The measures taken in the past 10 years to address threats to this species (see below) mean that the threat of mortality due to directed fishery activity and to bycatch has been reduced. The species is highly valued by recreational fishers however and, although many practise catch-and-release, post-release mortality is unquantified.
For more information, please visit our latest assessment
Measures that address key pressures from human activities or conserve the species/habitat
In 2010 the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) was reduced to zero and EU vessels were prohibited from landing porbeagle from international waters. Thereafter it has been prohibited for EU vessels to land porbeagle from all waters, and for non-EU vessels to land porbeagle in the EU, since 2015. Since 2007 direct fisheries were banned in Norway but bycatch could be landed up to 2011, and since 2011 live specimens must be released. This species has been listed in Appendix II of CMS since 2008 and in Appendix II of CITES since 2014 (ICES 2019b). The risk of incidental bycatch in commercial fishing still exists however, and the prohibited species listing alone cannot fully mitigate this risk.
OSPAR has identified a number of management measures for the Commission and Contracting parties to be pursued through cooperation with ICES and ICCAT (OSPAR 2010b).
NEAFC has implemented a recommendation for this species: Rec. 7/2020 (2020-2023). This prohibits directed fishing and states that any bycatch must be promptly released alive.
For more information, please visit our latest assessment
