Portuguese EEZ

By the early 1980s hake and horse-mackerel stocks were assessed as overexploited and national management regulations were put in place. Over the past decades the number of trawlers decreased, but benefits of this were diminished by an increase in fishing power. Sardine is the most abundant species on the shelf and accounts for 50% of the total landings. Portugal is subjected to decadal climatic natural fluctuations. During the warm regime of the 90s the increase in winter winds was detrimental to the productivity of both pelagic (mainly sardine) and demersal (mainly hake) resources. During the last decade, recruitment and production of demersal species increased, explaining the recent positive trends in indicators.