ICES has established three different management units for this species:

• Areas VI, VII, and VIII;
• Area IX; and
• Area X (Azores region).

This management unit division is supported by information on genetics and tagging.

Red seabream in VI, VII, and VIII appears to be severely depleted based on historical catches.

Red seabream in Subarea IX is depleted and there is no evidence of a significant recovery as a result of the local recovery plan in Spanish waters of the Strait of Gibraltar.

The status in Subarea X is uncertain but there are signs of increases in indices of abundance from surveys. The cpue in the fishery is stable. It is possible that sequential depletion of local populations may occur and this may contribute to the stability of the commercial cpue series.

Factors affecting the fisheries and the stock

Regulations and their effects

The TAC for Areas VI, VII, and VIII is currently 298 t. Landings have been below 300 t since 1991, averaging about 200 t over the last decade.

In Subarea IX, there is an EU TAC of 1080 t. This is more than double the total landings of the Subarea and so does not seem a relevant constraint. A Regional Recovery Plan for P. bogaraveo relating to the Spanish fishery in the Strait of Gibraltar area has been implemented by the Regional Government of Andalucía for 2003–2008. Technical measures adopted in this plan include the closure of the fishing season for two-and-half months (15th January–31st March), a minimum landing size (33 cm total length), authorized vessels list, hook size, maximum hooks per line (100), maximum number of lines per boat (30), maximum number of automatic machines for hauling per boat (3), and restricted ports for landing (only Tarifa and Algeciras).

In Subarea X multispecies and multigear fisheries are operating in an area regarded as vulnerable and which is protected by EU regulations banning bottom trawls and bottom gillnets. Local technical regulations are also in force (minimum landing size, hook size regulation, licensing, size restrictions by zone for gears and vessels, and a quota system by islands and vessel).

A TAC for Area X is currently set at 1136 t. Landings are at the level of the TAC.

Changes in fishing technology and fishing patterns

In Subareas VI, VII, and VIII red seabream is mostly a bycatch in longline and trawl fisheries.

There are directed handline and longline fisheries in Subarea IX.

Red seabream have been caught in hook and line fisheries off the Azores since the 16th Century. There are now directed artisanal handline as well as longline fisheries in Area Xa2. Historically, improvements in fishing technology have taken place in the directed handline and longline fisheries. These include the introduction of bottom longlines and bigger fishing vessels. The resulting improvement on fishing efficiency has not been quantified.