| Long-line Fishing |
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Information AboutLong-line Fishing |
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| commercial fishing | |
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Long-line fishing is a commercial Fishing technique that uses hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks hanging from a single line. Swordfish , Tuna , Halibut , Sablefish and Patagonian Toothfish are commonly caught by this method. In some unstable fisheries such as that of Patagonian toothfish in New Zealand , fishermen may be limited to as few as 25 hooks on a line. In contrast, American long-liners in certain robust fisheries of the Bering Sea and North Pacific generally run over 2500 hand-baited hooks on a series of connected lines miles in length. Long-lines can be set to hang near the surface ( Pelagic longline) to catch fish such as tuna, or swordfish or along the sea floor for groundfish such as halibut or Cod . Fishermen working in the North Pacific will commonly set gear for sablefish at depths of up to 600 fathoms (1100 meters). Long-line fishing is controversial in some areas because the lines can lead to By-catch , in Endangered Species such as Sea Turtle s, Petrel s and Albatross es this can sometimes have a significant effect on populations. Methods to mitigate such incidental mortality have been developed and successfully implemented in some fisheries. These include the use of weights to ensure the lines sink quickly, the deployment of streamer lines to scare birds away from the baited hooks as they are deployed, setting lines only at night with ship lighting kept low (to avoid attracting birds), limiting fishing seasons to the southern winter (when most seabirds are not feeding young), and not discharging offal while setting lines. However, gear modifications do not eliminate by-catch of many endangered species and remain somewhat controversial. In March 2006, the Hawaii long-line swordfish fishing season was closed due to excessive Loggerhead Sea Turtle by-catch after being open only a few months despite using modified circle hooks, which attempt to reduce by-catch. These issues aside, long-lining is one of the most efficient methods of commercial fishing. The impact on marine habitats of long-lining is far less than that of Trawling or Dredging as the line is not dragged along the sea floor. Particularly in the US and Canada, fisheries are under close management and long-lines are regulated with an eye towards ecological sustainability. REFERENCES http://www.afma.gov.au/information/students/methods/default.htm |
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