The porbeagle is a highly active, warm-bodied shark caught for food in Europe and as bycatch globally. Its welfare and conservation status are both concerning.
Porbeagles caught in longline fisheries experience prolonged stress from being on the hook, followed by rapid pressure changes during retrieval. As endothermic fish, they may have enhanced pain sensitivity compared to cold-blooded species. Their high activity requirements mean confinement in any form causes acute stress. Historic directed fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic nearly collapsed the population within decades, demonstrating how welfare harms at scale can intersect with conservation failure. Current bycatch mortality continues to limit population recovery.