1 .Other fisheries

The Azores Fisheries Observer Programme has been responsible for the supervision of several fisheries including black scabbard, deep sea shrimp and king crab experimental fisheries.

One of the most ancient deep sea fisheries in the world (about 100 years old) is the black scabbard fishery using drift bottom long line practiced on the Madeira archipelago.

The same fishing gear is used on the Azores and is composed by several fishing lines, weights and buoys in a way that allows the drifting of the hooks above the bottom, at depths between 1000 and 2000 meters. Beside black scabbard (Aphanopus carbo) other species are caught, including some deep water sharks.

Deep sea striped soldier shrimp (Plesionika edwardsii) fishery occurs at least for one month in the Azores since 2006. Fishing gear used consists of several suspended traps (each one has a buoy) connected to a main line which is attached to vertical cables coupled to a weight and a buoy on each extremity, respectively. Shrimp is attracted due to small portions of silver scabbardfish attached inside the trap. Fishing occurs in depths between 250 and 350 meters which turns it into a deep sea fishery. In 2009, POPA monitored this fishery outside the Azores for the first time, in a two months experience in central Mediterranean

The fishery targeting king crab is quite different from the last, mainly achieved with traps as the main gear. The traps are baited and set together in a line between 600 and 900 meters depth. The gear is very selective and bycatch rather seldom.

In both cases, observers are responsible for collecting data concerning sets, hauls, locations, captures and rejections.