Deep-sea Fisheries Research Articles

Drivers of trophodynamics of the open-ocean and deep-sea environments of the Azores, NE Atlantic

Marine ecosystems associated with mid-oceanic elevations harbour unique pelagic and benthic biodiversity and sustain food webs critical for Nature’s contributions to people (NCP). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Convention on the Law of the Sea recognize the need to implement ecosystem-based management approaches to conserve the structure and functioning of oceanic and deep-sea ecosystems within sustainable reference points. However, uncertainties regarding the interactions between multiple drivers of change, and their impacts on the state of these ecosystems and the NCP, present significant challenges to effective management. Trophic models offer a holistic approach to identify the main drivers affecting the dynamics of marine ecosystems. Here, we used a food web model of the open-ocean and deep-sea environments of the Azores for identifying the drivers that best explain historical biomass trends of demersal fish of high commercial value. Our hindcast simulations suggested that historical trends can be explained by the combined effects of deep-sea fisheries exploitation and variability in environmental conditions, likely dominated by primary productivity anomalies. In particular, deficits in primary production and high levels of fishing exploitation might have contributed to the pronounced decline in biomass observed between 2008 and 2012. These findings reinforce that failure to consider environmental factors in ecosystem-based management may result in shortfalls at achieving biodiversity conservation and sustainability objectives, particularly in the context of climate change.

Deep learning for detection and counting of Nephrops norvegicus from underwater videos

Abstract The Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) is one of the most important fishery items for the EU blue economy. This paper describes a software architecture based on neural networks, designed to identify the presence of N. norvegicus and estimate the number of its individuals per square meter (i.e. stock density) in deep-sea (350–380 m depth) Fishery No-Take Zones of the northwestern Mediterranean. Inferencing models were obtained by training open-source networks with images obtained from frames partitioning of in submarine vehicle videos. Animal detections were also tracked in successive frames of video sequences to avoid biases in individual recounting, offering significant success and precision in detection and density estimations.

Improving impact assessments to reduce impacts of deep-sea fisheries on vulnerable marine ecosystems

Robust impact assessments (IAs) for deep-sea fisheries are essential for safeguarding deep-sea ecosystems against the impacts of bottom fishing. In the high seas, United Nations Resolution commitments require States (independently or through Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs)) to conduct IAs to evaluate if fishing is putting vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) at risk. To enhance the efficacy of future IAs, this study evaluated nine IAs against the criteria in the FAO International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-Sea Fisheries in the High Seas. We find that in all IAs, the information required by the FAO Guidelines is either completely lacking or only partially addressed. The main shortcoming of the IAs was inadequate description of the ecosystems potentially affected by fishing. Additional shortcomings include incomplete description of the proposed fishing activities, lack of baseline data and risk assessments, and limited consideration of the indirect impacts of fishing. This study identifies several ways to strengthen the IA process; i) making IAs publicly available; ii) improved collection of baseline data and VME identification; iii) assessment of impacts on broader range of species associated with VMEs or potentially impacted by deep-sea fishing; iv) enhanced cooperation between RFMOs and more streamlined IA processes; v) comprehensive assessment of different types of impacts from fishing and climate change, and vii) improved consideration of uncertainty. Fully compliant IAs are a minimum requirement for the effective function of RFMOs, since they are the primary tool for preventing significant adverse impacts upon vulnerable marine ecosystems and the wider deep-sea environment.

Deep learning-based fishing ground prediction for albacore and yellowfin tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

Tuna is a crucial economic fish species in the ocean, and the research on predicting the location of tuna fishing grounds has always been a key issue in deep-sea fisheries. Tuna, being a highly active fish that moves vertically in the ocean, is extremely sensitive to changes in marine environmental factors. This study aimed to investigate the impact of environmental factors and water depth changes on the accuracy of tuna fishing ground prediction. To achieve this, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were utilized to train datasets using four key environmental factors - concentration of chlorophyll-a (CHLa), seawater temperature (ST), concentration of dissolved molecular oxygen (Oxy), and seawater salinity (SS) - at various depths ranging from 0 to 300 meters. A binary classification fishing ground prediction model for high and low yield areas of albacore and yellowfin tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean was constructed. The goal was to identify the optimal fishing ground prediction model trained under these conditions and to explore the potential impact of environmental factors and water depth on the prediction accuracy of the model. The data used in this study included information from the Western and Central Pacific Ocean albacore and yellowfin tuna fisheries from 2003 to 2016, along with corresponding environmental data, which were used as the training and validation sets. The fishing data and environmental data from 2017 were then utilized as the test set to develop fishing ground prediction models for the two fish species. The results indicate that using convolutional neural networks to construct fishing ground prediction models is indeed feasible, and spatio-temporal information plays a significant role in optimizing predicting models for tuna fishing ground. Among the models developed for the same fish species using the four marine environmental factors at different depths, the model based on CHLa at each depth was found to be the most effective, while the model constructed using Oxy at the same depth performed the worst. Furthermore, the albacore fishing ground prediction model demonstrated significantly higher efficacy compared to the yellowfin tuna fishing ground prediction model when using the same marine environmental factors. It was also observed that the accuracy of fishing ground prediction models for the same species varied depending on water depth, even when based on the same marine environmental factors. These findings highlight the importance of considering both environmental factors and water depth in predicting tuna fishing grounds accurately.

Conceptual Design and Structural Performance Analysis of an Innovative Deep-Sea Aquaculture Platform

This paper proposes a conceptual design of an innovative deep-sea aquaculture platform that integrates a steel structural framework and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) floats. It aims to overcome the limitations of prevailing aquaculture equipment, including inadequate resistance to strong wind and waves, complex technologies, and prohibitively high costs. The design scheme and key parameters of the main platform, the netting system, and the mooring systems are presented. Based on the stochastic design wave method, the characteristic load response scenarios and design wave parameters are determined and analyzed. Strength analysis is conducted to assess the structural performance, vulnerabilities, and overall safety of the platform under various characteristic load conditions. The results indicate that the Von Mises stress levels across different sections of the platform conform to the allowable stress thresholds under various characteristic load conditions. However, the stress levels of the platform are notably higher when subjected to characteristic loads associated with vertical shear, vertical bending moments, and torsion about the horizontal axis, which requires further efforts in the design process to enhance the structural safety of the platform. The proposed design methodology and the presented research results can provide a wide range of references for the design and analysis of deep-sea fisheries aquaculture equipment.

Can government subsidy promote the light-blue fishery upgrade to deep-blue fishery?

IntroductionThe expansion of fishery development from offshore to deep-sea areas has become essential for countries to address environmental constraints and ensure food security. This study aims to establish a cooperative development model for deep-blue fishery involving the government, fishery enterprises, and consumers.MethodsWe constructed an evolutionary game and simulation model to analyze the government's deep-blue fishery subsidy strategy. The model considers the interactions between the government, fishery enterprises, and consumers, evaluating how different subsidy strategies influence the development of deep-blue fishery.ResultsOur results demonstrate that government subsidies can stimulate the growth of deep-blue fishery from both the demand and supply sides. Specifically, the likelihood of government subsidies positively affects fishery enterprises' engagement in deep-blue fishery development and consumers' willingness to purchase deep-blue fishery products. The evolutionary game system reaches different steady states based on the cost-benefit changes for the government, fishery enterprises, and consumers, leading to various optimal subsidy strategies.DiscussionThe findings indicate that the amount of government subsidy should be optimized rather than maximized, as excessive subsidies may not yield proportionate benefits. Additionally, subsidizing fishery enterprises proves to be more effective in promoting the development of deep-blue fishery compared to subsidizing consumers. These insights can guide policymakers in designing efficient subsidy strategies to foster sustainable deep-sea fishery development.

Selectivity-based management for reversing overexploitation of demersal fisheries in North-western Mediterranean Sea

Bottom trawling in the Mediterranean Sea has compromised the availability of demersal fishery resources, primarily due to decades of overexploitation beyond sustainability thresholds. Low selective bottom trawl nets have exacerbated this situation by catching large numbers of under-sized or immature individuals of targeted and not-targeted commercial species that are subsequently discarded. EU legislation requires EU Mediterranean countries to recover demersal fish stocks to sustainable levels by January 2025. This is a challenging requirement under current management scenarios that mainly focus on reducing fishing hours, compromising the activity of the fleets. While social networks among fishing fleets and fisherman associations are essential for facilitating the transition to sustainable exploitation, improving the selectivity of bottom trawl gears is proposed as a viable option beyond reducing fishing hours. This study presents the benefits of improving bottom trawlers net selectivity in multi-species NW Mediterranean coastal and deep-sea fisheries to reduce the catch of non-commercial sizes and discards. Data from selectivity experiments and literature review, fish market landings and a regional monitoring program in the FAO geographical sub-area 6 were used. Results indicate that in the short term, enhanced selectivity leads to an increase in the proportion of fish that are closer to their minimum conservation reference sizes or sizes at maturity, while minimising the impact on commercial catches. Sustainability may be achieved, though beyond 2025, with measures complementing selectivity. These include the adoption of semi-pelagic otter doors to mitigate the impact of trawlers on the seabed and the expansion of no-take marine reserves to ensure habitat recovery and spillover effects.

Environmental preferences and critical habitat for the velvet belly lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax) in Icelandic waters.

The velvet belly lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax) is a small, bioluminescent shark that is caught as bycatch in many deep-sea fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean. Using data from 10,597 seasonal research survey tows spanning 11 years, the distribution, relative abundance, life history, and environmental preferences of E. spinax in Icelandic waters was examined for the first time. E. spinax (n = 8774) were only captured in relatively deep offshore waters to the south and west of Iceland. Females grew to larger sizes than males and reached 50% sexual maturity at a total length of 50 cm. Females at a late stage of maturity and very small juveniles (<20 cm) were restricted to the central south Icelandic shelf, suggesting that this might be critical habitat for the reproduction of the species. Most of the sharks were captured at depths of 400-500 m, a relatively narrow depth range, and classified as a stenothermic warm-water species with habitat temperature restricted to about 6.3-8.0°C. Teleosts, crustaceans and cephalopods made up most of the diet. There was no indication of a decline in abundance over the time span of the survey. However, climate-induced warming of the deep ocean may shift the distribution of the species to more northerly waters within Iceland.

Reproductive biology aspects with a specific focus on histological analysis of oogenesis in Heterocarpus woodmasoni Alcock, 1901 from Southeastern Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean

The expansion of deep-sea fisheries in India has underscored the necessity for comprehensive data on the reproductive characteristics of targeted species to facilitate effective resource management. Heterocarpus woodmasoni Alcock, 1901 plays a pivotal role in supporting India’s deep-sea shrimp fishery sector. In this pioneering study, we provide novel insights into the reproductive dynamics of H. woodmasoni, utilizing specimens collected from 2019 to 2022 at the primary deep-sea shrimp landings site of Sakthikulangara fisheries harbour, Kerala, India. The research revealed that H. woodmasoni exhibits a continuous breeding pattern characterized by three prominent spawning peaks: two occurring in January and April with an additional extended peak observed in September. Moreover, the study observed a consistently high proportion of ovigerous females throughout all seasons, suggesting year-round reproductive activity in H. woodmasoni. Size (CL) at the onset of sexual maturity (SOM) for males and females measured 16 mm and 17 mm, respectively. In terms of brood size, the mean absolute brood size estimated in H. woodmasoni was 5438 ± 2687. Interestingly, while brood size increased as a power function of carapace length, the correlation between reproductive output and carapace length was found to be statistically not significant. Embryo volume varied significantly between the three developmental stages (Stage I: 0.03 ± 0.02 mm3, stage II: 0.05 ± 0.04 mm3 and stage III: 0.11 ± 0.03 mm3). The gonadosomatic index showed increasing trend corresponding ovary maturation. However, the index declined in the final maturity stage characterized by a black coloured ovary. The vivid colour changes observed in mature ovaries, spanning early vitellogenesis, late vitellogenesis and maturation phases offer valuable insights into the dynamic cellular transformations occurring during ovarian development. The present study regarding the various reproductive traits of H. woodmasoni with histological examination of oogenesis will help to facilitate sustainable exploitation and adequate conservation management of this species.

Echinorhinus brucus (Bonnaterre, 1788) in the Caribbean Sea: A recurrent visitor, or are the artisanal fisheries exploiting deeper waters?

Documentation of Echinorhinus brucus, (Bonnaterre, 1788) in the western Atlantic primarily relies on chance observations. Georeferenced records in this area remain notably scarce. This study contributes the second Venezuelan and seventh Caribbean Sea specimens, increasing the western Atlantic count to 15 individuals. All specimens gathered here were sexually mature, with a slight dominance of females. Our bramble shark record appears to be driven more by the interplay of its biology and environmental factors than being a deliberate deep-sea fishery activity, which likely occurs in the Southern Caribbean area.

Korean Judicial Decision

Abstract In 2021, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea made recommendations to the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries for the promotion of human rights of migrant seafarers. In response, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries stated that in order to improve working conditions and strengthen labor supervision, regular inspections of the working conditions of offshore fisheries (biannual) and deep-sea fisheries (quarterly) have been carried out. In 2022, the Seafarer Act was amended by introducing a new provision mandating the education on the protection of labor rights and human rights of seafarers. In 2023, the Commission reviewed and determined that the response of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries partially accepted the recommendations. However, concerns were raised over the lack of response regarding the recommendation to establish legal standards of working conditions per Article 32 Paragraph 3 of the Constitution. The Commission is of the opinion that the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries must take on a more active role to legally guarantee migrant seafarers’ working conditions, to prevent human rights violations and discrimination against such workers, and to prevent excessive recruitment fees and unjust fees incurred by recruitment agencies to be borne by the migrant seafarers.

The use of cameras on commercial deep-water trawls to investigate habitat associations and scampi trawl efficiency in New Zealand scampi Metanephrops challengeri

AbstractThis study assessed the effectiveness of using video cameras mounted on commercial trawls for a deep-sea lobster, the New Zealand scampi Metanephrops challengeri, for acquiring information on habitat associations of demersal species and fishing efficiency. Randomly selected frames from 1 h of recording replicated over 12 trawls and conducted over three fisheries management areas (FMA), were analysed for counts of visible scampi, scampi burrows, visible topographical features and visible epifauna and fish taxa. Poisson regression analysis indicated a positive relationship between the distribution of scampi burrows (a proxy of scampi abundance) and conical mounds (formed by bioturbators), but a negative relationship with smooth topography. Counts of scampi burrows were also positively associated with counts of visible scampi for four trawls, while significant relationships were seldom found between counts of scampi burrows and other commonly observed individual taxa. Scampi trawl efficiency was low, with only 56 of the 186 observed scampi (30%) passing over the footrope and into the trawl net. The results confirm the effectiveness of video sampling from commercial trawls to improve our understanding of habitats and fishing efficiency in deep-sea fisheries.

Could Deep-Sea Fisheries Contribute to the Food Security of Our Planet? Pros and Cons

Hundreds of millions of people on the planet are affected by malnourishment. This contributes to the vulnerability of large swaths of the population worldwide. Children under five years old and adolescent girls are especially disproportionately vulnerable to diseases and even death in less developed countries. Today, by providing a substantial share of global protein intake, as well as fatty acids and micronutrients, fisheries contribute to global food security. As fish stocks in the upper sea levels are increasingly over-exploited, there is a surge in discussion on the potential contributions of deep-sea fisheries for global food and nutrition security. Some mesopelagic fishes show potential in providing important nutrients. Another way of supplying food security might be in using mesopelagic fish as fish feed. However, fishing in the mesopelagic zone could lead to severe ecological repercussions, especially because the impact on the biological carbon pump is uncertain. This paper highlights and juxtaposes different perspectives regarding exploitation pathways of the fish riches of deep seas, and reviews best practice model projects that deal with uncertainties related to fishery management in the mesopelagic zone. The review concludes that due to the essential role of the mesopelagic zone in the global biological carbon pump and complex interaction patterns between pelagic and mesopelagic species, exploitation of the fish riches of the mesopelagic zone must be based on comprehensive data and rigorous analyses. In the face of the current uncertainty on the respective mechanisms, the authors endorse an international moratorium on deep-sea fisheries and/or the rather small-scale exploitation of mesopelagic biomass.

Towards a scientific community consensus on designating Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems from imagery.

Management of deep-sea fisheries in areas beyond national jurisdiction by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations/Arrangements (RFMO/As) requires identification of areas with Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Currently, fisheries data, including trawl and longline bycatch data, are used by many RFMO/As to inform the identification of VMEs. However, the collection of such data creates impacts and there is a need to collect non-invasive data for VME identification and monitoring purposes. Imagery data from scientific surveys satisfies this requirement, but there currently is no established framework for identifying VMEs from images. Thus, the goal of this study was to bring together a large international team to determine current VME assessment protocols and establish preliminary global consensus guidelines for identifying VMEs from images. An initial assessment showed a lack of consistency among RFMO/A regions regarding what is considered a VME indicator taxon, and hence variability in how VMEs might be defined. In certain cases, experts agreed that a VME could be identified from a single image, most often in areas of scleractinian reefs, dense octocoral gardens, multiple VME species' co-occurrence, and chemosynthetic ecosystems. A decision flow chart is presented that gives practical interpretation of the FAO criteria for single images. To further evaluate steps of the flow chart related to density, data were compiled to assess whether scientists perceived similar density thresholds across regions. The range of observed densities and the density values considered to be VMEs varied considerably by taxon, but in many cases, there was a statistical difference in what experts considered to be a VME compared to images not considered a VME. Further work is required to develop an areal extent index, to include a measure of confidence, and to increase our understanding of what levels of density and diversity correspond to key ecosystem functions for VME indicator taxa. Based on our results, the following recommendations are made: 1. There is a need to establish a global consensus on which taxa are VME indicators. 2. RFMO/As should consider adopting guidelines that use imagery surveys as an alternative (or complement) to using bycatch and trawl surveys for designating VMEs. 3. Imagery surveys should also be included in Impact Assessments. And 4. All industries that impact the seafloor, not just fisheries, should use imagery surveys to detect and identify VMEs.

Evolution of catches and specific composition of elasmobranchs in Mauritanian artisanal, coastal and offshore fisheries

Elasmobranchs are among the most vulnerable marine fish and the most impacted by fishing. In Mauritania, although many management and prohibition measures have been introduced, this taxonomic group continues to be caught and landed. To follow trends of catches and catch species composition by the different fishing fleets in Mauritania we used the data from the fisheries monitoring system set up by the Mauritanian Institute of Oceanographic Research and Fisheries (IMROP) collected since 2006 in the National Park of Banc d′Arguin (PNBA). These data are supplemented by the monitoring data on the artisanal, coastal, and deep-sea fisheries, and the data from the scientific demersal trawling campaigns in the Mauritanian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that IMROP has been conducting since 1982. The results show that elasmobranch catches are highest in the artisanal and coastal fisheries, particularly in the PNBA, where several conservation measures for these species have been put in place. These results suggest that there is a need to strengthen the implementation of the shark management plan by a strict application of the prohibition of gear targeting these species.

Jaws from the deep: biological and ecological insights on the kitefin shark Dalatias licha from the Mediterranean Sea

Due to their late maturation, extreme longevity, low fecundity and slow growth rates, deep-sea Chondrichthyes are extremely vulnerable to human impacts. Moreover, assessing the impact of deep-sea fisheries is difficult, as many species (including sharks) are part of the bycatch and are often discarded at sea, and/or landed under generic commercial-species codes. The lack of this information on fishery data sets and the limited availability of species-specific life history data make challenging the management of deep-sea Chondrichthyes. The kitefin shark Dalatias licha is a cosmopolitan elasmobranch, mainly found on continental and insular shelf-breaks and slopes in warm-temperate and tropical waters. This species is a common by-catch of the deep-sea trawling, considered as “Endangered” by the IUCN Red List for all European waters, Mediterranean Sea included. Here we present the results of a study based on a total of 78 specimens of kitefin shark collected over 3 years in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean) as by-catch from deep-water fisheries. Total length ranged from 380 to 1164 mm, and individual weight ranged from 198 to 8000 g. Immature and mature individuals showed a sex ratio dominated by males. Adult males were observed throughout the year, while mature females were observed only in spring-summer. These data lead to hypothesise a spatial segregation between genders. The kitefin shark diet was dominated by bony fish (mainly Macrouridae) and other small sharks (e.g., Galeus melastomus and Etmopterus spinax), but their gut included plastic items and parasites. Data reported here underline the rarity, complex ecology and the threat for this shark species and support the urgency of promoting initiatives for their monitoring and conservation.

Habitat Suitability Models of a Critically Endangered Cold-water Coral, Isidella Elongata, in the Mallorca Channel

The bamboo coral Isidella elongata is often associated with a diverse community, including commercial fish species, playing an important role in the deep-sea Mediterranean as a biodiversity hotspot. There has been a drastic decrease of the populations of this species since the twentieth century, mainly related to impacts of fishing, leading to its inclusion in the Barcelona Convention and the list of Mediterranean vulnerable marine ecosystems. However, the knowledge on its local scale distribution is still very limited. In this study, habitat suitability models were performed based on a dense population of I. elongata, located in the Mallorca Channel (western Mediterranean), to contribute to fill this knowledge gap. Generalized additive models, Maximum entropy models and Random Forest were combined into an ensemble model. Models showed that habitat is most suitable on smooth plains surrounding the seamounts of Ses Olives and Ausiàs March present in the study area. Furthermore, two models out of three showed a preference of the coral for flat areas. The predictions of the habitat suitability models presented in this study can be useful to design protection measures for this critically endangered species to contribute to the species’ and deep-sea fisheries management.

Deepwater red shrimp fishery in the eastern–central Mediterranean Sea: AIS-observed monthly fishing effort and frequency over 4 years

Abstract. Deep-sea fishery in the Mediterranean Sea was historically driven by the commercial profitability of deepwater red shrimp (DWRS), and understanding spatiotemporal dynamics of fishing is key to comprehensively evaluate the status of these profitable resources and prevent stock collapse. A 4-year time series of observed monthly patterns and related frequency of trawling disturbance based on an automatic identification system (AIS) is provided with a resolution of 0.01∘×0.01∘, accounting for the spatial extent and temporal variability in deepwater (DW) bottom-contact fisheries during the period 2015–2018. The dataset was estimated from 370 fishing vessels that were found to perform trawling in deep water (400–800 m) during the study period, and they represent a significant part of the real fleet exploiting these fishing grounds in the study area. The reconstructed deepwater trawling-effort dataset is available at: https://doi.org/10.17882/89150 (Pulcinella et al., 2022). This large-scale and high-resolution dataset may help researchers of many scientific fields, as well as those involved in fishery management and in the update of existing management plans for deepwater red shrimp fisheries as foreseen in relevant recommendations of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).

Life History and Fishing Aspects of the Deep-Sea Silver Scabbardfish Lepidopus caudatus in the Azores.

Deep-sea fisheries are of important economic value. Therefore, it is necessary to generate biologically and ecologically based fishing plans to make this fishery sustainable over time. The silver scabbardfish, Lepidopus caudatus, is a worldwide-distributed demersal fish, commercially exploited in the Azores. Despite L. caudatus high landings and discharges in the region, information about its ecology, population structure, biology and fisheries remains little-known. This work analyzed scientific survey and fishery-dependent data from the past 30 years to understand the changes in abundance, spatial distribution and life history of this species. Lepidopus caudatus spatial distribution was associated with depths between 200 and 400 m, close to seamounts and islands, and on sandy bottoms. The size structure varied yearly, and the population was dominated by females (sex ratio, M:F = 0.46:1). Growth rates were between the estimated values in previous studies in the Azores and indicated a slow-grower species (L∞ = 171.62 cm, k = 0.12 year-1, Φ' = 3.52). The abundance indices highlighted a declining tendency, and this result was backed by the high exploitation rate for the fish in the region (E = 0.53). Lack of management measurements and the species' vulnerability could lead to the depletion of this species.

Deep-sea Chondrichthyans associated with the Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides fishery off the coast of Peru

The deep-sea fishery for Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) in Peru offers the opportunity to document species that may be new or rare to the region, or possibly new to science. Here, we report specimens caught, photographed and discarded in a vessel operating in the deep-sea fishery for D. eleginoides, during two fishing trips in 2019 and 2020. Five specimens of three chondrichthyan species were caught incidentally at an average depth of 1,489 m. Species identification was done from photographs as specimens were discarded, and they include Centroscyllium cf. nigrum, Bathyraja cf. spinosissima, and Hydrolagus melanophasma. All are new records for Peruvian waters. Continuing the collaboration with commercial fisheries as a source of information for deep-sea species could greatly contribute to improving our understanding of marine biodiversity in Peru and inform conservation decision-making.