The Biscuit Skate (Raja straeleni) is taken as bycatch of trawl and longline fisheries and, similar to other skates in the region, is either retained for consumption or discarded.
Currently, there are a number of European and Chinese distant-water vessels using trawls and longlines to target demersal fish and shrimp species that reach the depth limit of this species, especially in the northern part of its range in Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. While species-specific data are not available, both increases (Morocco) and declines (Mauritania) in landings of combined skates and rays have been documented in the northern portion of its range. However, little information is available on fishing pressure throughout the rest of its range, south through the Gulf of Guinea. In this region, the sea floor is reported to be not trawlable at depths of 75–200 m and demersal stocks in these waters therefore reportedly remain unexploited which might provide a refuge for this species from trawl fisheries throughout the central parts of its range.
Further information is urgently needed to determine the level of impact on this species, particularly as deep-water fisheries are expanding in response to declining fish stocks in heavily exploited coastal areas. However, species-specific population trend data from relative abundance in South Africa revealed no major population reductions over the past three generation lengths (21 years). Skate species, including the Biscuit Skate, are susceptible to overfishing due to their relatively low biological productivity, which is of concern for the Biscuit Skate. However, this species is likely to have refuge from fishing pressure across some of its core distribution and range. Yet, considering the level of intense and large unmanaged fisheries that operate throughout its northern range, and noted declines in landings of rays across its range, it is suspected that the Biscuit Skate has undergone a population reduction of 20–29% over the past three generation lengths (21 years) due to levels of exploitation in parts of its range and it is assessed as Near Threatened; close to meeting Vulnerable.