MEPS prepress abstract   -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14801

ABSTRACT: Effective monitoring and reporting of fisheries are crucial for successful management and are typically done by at-sea observers and fishers, respectively. However, this system can produce biased information due to economic and social limitations. Electronic monitoring and reporting systems (EMR) are becoming more prevalent and seen as a solution to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The present study aimed to test the effectiveness of an integrated EMR in identifying demersal and deep-sea sharks, skates and chimaeras (hereafter chondrichthyans), which are bycatch in the Portuguese crustacean bottom trawl fishery. Forty-two hours of footage were thoroughly examined and provided identification of 2182 individuals representing 11 taxa. The majority were identified up to the genus level, and some even at the species level. Only 0.9% of the chondrichthyans could not be identified. Furthermore, the highest bycatch rates of chondrichthyans were from the genus Etmopterus spp. and Galeus spp. The technology’s limitations are discussed, and suggestions for improvement are made to enhance future research proposals and improve the system's overall design. However, the successful implementation of the EMR in this study and other case studies worldwide demonstrates its potential for upscaling to other fisheries, contributing significantly to more sustainable fishing practices and better management of marine resources.