Wreckfish  (Polyprion americanus)

The single, greatest threat to the wreckfish is from overfishing (1). Since the 1970s, fisheries specifically targeting wreckfish have existed (1), with the large size, quality flesh and high market price of the wreckfish attracting a lot of interest (5). Despite a lack of data on some wreckfish populations, it is believed that global wreckfish stocks may now be in decline (1). This assumption is based on the fact that wreckfish are slow to reproduce, which makes it susceptible to overexploitation, and due to signs that populations are being overexploited in some areas (1). For example, wreckfish fisheries in Brazil, Bermuda and Portugal began to decline within five years of their commencement (1). In addition, the habit of wreckfish to form aggregations when spawning increases its vulnerability to overfishing, as large groups are an easy target for fisheries (1).

Fishing regulations, which may help conserve stocks of wreckfish, are only in place in the USA and New Zealand (1). In the USA, commercial fishers must have permits, quotas are in place, and wreckfish are not allowed to be caught during the spawning season. The commercial fishery in New Zealand also has quotas in place (1). Elsewhere, particularly in Brazil, conservation measures for the wreckfish are worryingly absent (1).