The bramble shark (*Echinorhinus brucus*) is a rare, deep-water shark found in temperate and tropical oceans worldwide, recognized by its stout body and distinctive thorn-like dermal denticles. This species is not a primary target for commercial fisheries due to its scarcity and limited economic value, but it is occasionally caught as bycatch in deep-sea trawling and longline fisheries. The top countries known to incidentally harvest bramble sharks include Spain and Portugal, particularly through their deep-sea trawl fleets operating in the Northeast Atlantic, as well as Japan and Taiwan in the western Pacific, where deep-sea fishing is more common. Landings are generally small and sporadic, with the bramble shark often processed for its meat, liver oil, and sometimes fins. Due to its low reproductive rate and vulnerability to overfishing, the bramble shark is listed as "Endangered" by the IUCN, and many countries have implemented stricter regulations or bans on deep-sea shark fishing to protect this and other vulnerable species.
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Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.