Traditional pole-and-line tuna fishing in Portugal's Azores archipelago faces significant challenges following a new bigeye tuna moratorium and price drops, reports Deutsche Welle.

Operators of the archipelago's pole-and-line vessels report being forced to halt operations weeks into the season, with prices falling to €2 per kilogram due to large catches from industrial purse seines.

"We've been fishing for less than a month, and now we must stop," Paulo Quadros, who operates a vessel with his brother, told Deutche Welle.

Local captains argue their regulated pole-and-line methods are more sustainable than industrial fishing practices. 

"If this isn't the end, we're very close to it," said local captain Afonso, citing what he describes as low quotas, reduced prices, and rising fuel costs.