Into Deeper Waters

Abstract

The term deepwater refers to fishing in waters greater than 400m depth. The main species taken in these deepwater fisheries are roundnose grenadier, black scabbard, orange roughy, greenland halibut, tusk and deepwater sharks. The fisheries take place in depths between 800m and 1200m on the slopes of the Porcupine Bank and in the Rockall Trough to the West of Ireland. France was the first country to take an interest in deepwater stocks in the late 1980s. Since then Spain, UK Norway, Faroes and Ireland have developed deepwater fisheries. On the slopes west of Donegal, Norwegian long-liners fish for ling and tusk on the shelf edge. On the slopes of the Porcupine Bank Spanish longliners and gillnetters fish for shark. Further out in the Atlantic trawlers from many countries fish the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Hatton Bank.