Top Eaton'S Skate Fishing Countries

Eaton's skate (Bathyraja eatonii) is a species of deepwater skate found primarily in the cold southern waters around sub-Antarctic islands, particularly near the Kerguelen and Crozet Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. This species is characterized by its broad, flat body and long, slender tail, and typically inhabits depths ranging from 100 to over 1,000 meters. The fishing industry targeting Eaton's skate is relatively small compared to more commercially valuable skates and rays, but it is primarily concentrated in French overseas territories, where French fishing fleets operate around the Kerguelen and Crozet Islands under regulated quotas. France, therefore, is the top country harvesting Eaton's skate, with its distant-water trawlers occasionally landing this species as part of mixed demersal fisheries. The catch is often incidental rather than targeted, and management measures are in place to prevent overexploitation due to the species’ slow reproductive rate and vulnerability to overfishing.

Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.