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Longline fishing
Longline fishing
Longline fishing
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Longlining for mackerel
Longline radiobuoys

Longline fishing, or longlining, is a commercial fishing angling technique that uses a long main line with baited hooks attached at intervals via short branch lines called snoods or gangions.[1] A snood is attached to the main line using a clip or swivel, with the hook at the other end. Longlines are classified mainly by where they are placed in the water column. This can be at the surface or at the bottom. Lines can also be set by means of an anchor, or left to drift. Hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks can hang from a single line. This can lead to the death of many different marine species known as bycatch. Longliners – fishing vessels rigged for longlining – commonly target swordfish, tuna, halibut, sablefish and many other species.[2]

In some unstable fisheries, such as the Patagonian toothfish, fishermen may be limited to as few as 25 hooks per line. In contrast, commercial longliners in certain robust fisheries of the Bering Sea and North Pacific generally run over 2,500 hand-baited hooks on a single series of connected lines many miles in length.[3][4]

Longlines can be set to hang near the surface (pelagic longline) to catch fish such as tuna and swordfish or along the sea floor (demersal longline) for groundfish such as halibut or cod. Longliners fishing for sablefish, also referred to as black cod, occasionally set gear on the sea floor at depths exceeding 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) using relatively simple equipment. Longlines with traps attached rather than hooks can be used for crab fishing in deep waters.

Longline fishing is prone to the incidental catching and killing of dolphins, seabirds, sea turtles, and sharks,[5] but less so than deep sea trawling.[6][7]

In Hawaii, where Japanese immigrants introduced longlining in 1917, longline fishing was known as flagline fishing because of the use of flags to mark floats from which hooks were suspended.[8] The term "flagline fishing" persisted until local fishing vessels began to use modern monofilament mainline, line setters, and large, hydraulically powered reels, when the term "longline fishing" was adopted.[8]

Incidental catch

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See also: Bycatch
Photo of thousands of birds feeding at water surface next to fishing boat
Seabirds with longline fishing vessel
Photo of single bird attempting to fly away
Black-browed albatross hooked on a long-line

Longline fishing is controversial because of bycatch, fish caught while seeking another species or immature juveniles of the target species. This can cause many issues, such as the killing of many other marine animals while seeking certain commercial fish. Seabirds can be particularly vulnerable during the setting of the line.

Methods to mitigate incidental mortality have succeeded in some fisheries. Mitigation techniques include the use of weights to ensure the lines sink quickly, the deployment of streamer lines to scare away birds, lasers,[9] setting lines only at night in low light (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.

The Hawaii-based longline fishery for swordfish was closed in 2000 over concerns of excessive sea turtle by-catch, particularly loggerhead sea turtles and leatherback turtles. Changes to the management rules allowed the fishery to reopen in 2004. Gear modification, particularly a change to large circle-hooks and mackerel-type baits, eliminated much of the sea turtle by-catch associated with the fishing technique. It has been claimed that one consequence of the closure was that 70 Hawaii-based vessels were replaced by 1,500–1,700 longline vessels from various Asian nations, but this is not based on any reliable data [citation needed]. Due to poor and often non-existent catch documentation by these vessels, the number of sea turtles and albatross caught by these vessels between 2000 and 2004 will never be known [citation needed]. Hawaii longline fishing for swordfish closed again on 17 March 2006, when the by-catch limit of 17 loggerhead turtles was reached. In 2010 the by-catch limit for loggerhead turtles was raised, but was restored to the former limit as a result of litigation. The Hawaii-based longline fisheries for tuna and swordfish are managed under sets of slightly different rules. The tuna fishery is one of the best managed fisheries in the world, according to the UN Code of Responsible Fishing[citation needed], but has been criticized by others[who?], as being responsible for continuing by-catch of false killer whales, seabirds, and other nontargeted wildlife, as well as placing pressure on depleted bigeye tuna stocks.

Commercial longline fishing is also one of the main threats to albatrosses, posing a particularly serious threat to their survival.[10] Of the 22 albatross species recognized by the IUCN Red List, 15 are threatened with extinction.[11] The IUCN lists two species as Critically Endangered (Tristan albatross and waved albatross), seven species as Endangered, and six as Vulnerable.[11] Albatrosses and other seabirds which readily feed on offal are attracted to the set bait, become hooked on the lines and drown. An estimated 8,000 albatross per year are killed in this way.[12] These activities, however, are not randomly spread across the vast oceans, but rather are highly spatially concentrated.[10] Therefore, the bird conservation lobby should work closely with regional fisheries management organizations to devise and implement targeted interventions aimed at reducing potential illegal longline fishing, which, in turn, will likely have positive effects on albatrosses. A simple device which can be fitted onto longlines, known as Hookpod, has been proposed for mitigation of seabird bycatch; Hookpod was rolled out to a total of 15 commercial fishing vessels in New Zealand after a change in regulations in January 2020, with a result of zero seabird bycatch in the first 6 months.

Plastic Pollution

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According to Greenpeace oceanic macroplastic (pieces exceeding 20cm in size) pollution is majoritively made up of modern plastic fishing equipment such as drift nets and longline fishing equipment. Additionally approximately 10% of the total weight of all oceanic plastic is produced by fishing industry equipment.[13] They believe the majority of this pollution originates from undocumented and illegal fishing activity rather than from regulated fisheries.[13]

It has also been found that fishing nets and lines, such as longlines, shed microplastics while being towed. While new lines were found to shed only 20 microplastic fragments per yard towed, 10 year old lines shed 760 per yard.[14] Based on the number of fishing vessels believed to operate in the oceans researchers from the University of Plymouth gave an estimate of between 326 million to 17 billion microplatic fragments shed in the oceans each year from fishing boats.[14]

Safety

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In the US, a study found that the risk for non-fatal injuries was 35 per 1,000 full-time equivalent employees, about three times higher than average U.S. worker.[15] (This is compared to 43 per 1,000 in the trawler fleet).[16]

Historic images

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Commercial longlining
Preparing lines for longlining
Snoods (gangions) used in the longlining
Setting a buoy to mark the end of a longline

See also

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Notes

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Longline fishing

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Longline fishing is a technique that deploys an extensive mainline, often spanning several kilometers, from which numerous shorter branch lines with baited hooks extend to capture target selectively. The method operates passively, with hooks attracting over time, and is categorized into pelagic variants suspended in midwater or near the surface for like tunas and , and demersal types anchored to the seafloor for bottom-dwellers such as and . Originating from ancient line-fishing practices but refined into modern form by Japanese fishermen in the early , longline fishing expanded industrially after , particularly for high-value pelagic species destined for markets. It targets premium species including bigeye, yellowfin, and tunas, as well as billfishes, accounting for approximately 9% of the global catch amid a total wild harvest exceeding 200 million tonnes annually. While valued for its relative selectivity compared to or purse-seining—allowing targeted capture of large, economically important fish—longline operations generate substantial , including over 160,000 seabirds yearly, such as albatrosses, whose populations have declined partly due to hook impalement during gear deployment. Sea turtles and also suffer high incidental mortality, prompting international measures like weighted lines, night setting, and bird-scaring devices, which have proven effective in regions with enforced regulations. These ecological trade-offs underscore the causal link between gear design, fishing practices, and impacts, with data from observer programs revealing persistent challenges in unregulated fleets.

History

Origins and Early Development

Longline fishing traces its roots to ancient civilizations, where precursors to the method involved simple multi-hook lines known as "volantín" or three-hook lines, employed by Phoenicians and in the for targeting demersal species. These early techniques relied on hand-crafted lines with natural materials like or plant fibers, deployed from small vessels or shorelines to catch bottom-dwelling fish, marking an evolution from single-hook to scaled-up hook arrays for greater efficiency. The modern form of pelagic longline fishing, targeting surface or mid-water species such as , emerged in during the mid-19th century, with independent evolutions in gear design emphasizing long mainlines suspended by floats and baited branch lines (snoods) to drift passively. Japanese innovations included systematic use of monofilament precursors and strategic spacing, enabling vessels to cover vast oceanic areas, a causal advancement driven by pressures and resource demands in post-feudal that prioritized high-volume, low-labor capture over nets. By the early 20th century, bottom longlining for like and predominated in northern European fisheries, with Scottish crews using lines up to several miles long set overnight before , reflecting pre-industrial adaptations to deep-water habitats where hooks outperformed trawls in selectivity and . Japanese techniques spread globally post-1910s, notably to in 1917 via immigrant fisherman Imose, who adapted "flagline" systems with flagged buoys for marking pelagic sets off Oahu, initiating commercial fisheries there. This diffusion to the Pacific in further refined deployment practices, incorporating steam-powered vessels for longer soaks and larger hook counts, up to thousands per set.

Modern Evolution and Technological Advances

The introduction of synthetic materials, particularly monofilament lines in the mid-20th century, marked a significant advancement in longline fishing, replacing lines that were prone to degradation and allowing for longer, more durable mainlines capable of supporting thousands of hooks. This shift, combined with improvements in vessel construction such as steel hulls and diesel propulsion, enabled fleets to operate farther offshore and handle larger gear deployments, expanding pelagic longline fisheries from regional to global scales by the 1950s and 1960s. In the , innovations in gear configuration allowed exploitation of deeper water columns, with longliners targeting species at depths exceeding 200 meters through weighted branch lines and adjusted hook spacing. Mechanization further transformed operations starting in the mid-1950s, with the adoption of hydraulic haulers and line setters that automated baiting and deployment, reducing labor intensity and increasing efficiency; for instance, modern vessels can now set lines with over 30 hooks between floats using line shooters, compared to manual methods limited to fewer hooks per interval. By the late 20th century, electronic navigation tools like GPS and sonar fish finders became standard, enabling precise targeting of fish aggregations and real-time monitoring of gear position, which has contributed to a doubling of global fishing power roughly every 35 years through cumulative technological gains. In the , focus has shifted toward selectivity and , with circle hooks replacing J-hooks to reduce sea turtle entanglement by up to 90% in some trials, as they promote jaw hooking over gut hooking in target species like . Monofilament leaders in branch lines have demonstrated a 41% reduction in bycatch while preserving catch rates for tunas, based on gear trials lasting up to 360 days without structural failure. Vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and predictive environmental models, incorporating variables like and ocean currents, now aid in avoiding high- zones, with monthly forecasts helping fleets minimize incidental captures of seabirds and marine mammals. Emerging , including robotic baiting and AI-assisted hook detection, promises further efficiency gains, though adoption remains limited to larger industrial fleets as of 2025. ![Longline radiobuoy showing modern signaling technology][float-right]

Techniques and Equipment

Types of Longline Systems

Longline fishing systems are primarily distinguished by their deployment depth and target habitats, with the two main categories being pelagic (midwater or surface) and demersal (bottom or near-bottom). These systems deploy a horizontal mainline with attached branch lines (snoods or gangions) bearing baited hooks, but differ in , weighting, and anchoring to position the gear appropriately. Pelagic systems target free-swimming species in the , while demersal systems focus on benthic or near the seafloor. Pelagic longline systems suspend the mainline horizontally in the upper water layers or midwater, typically using floats to maintain position and adjustable clips to attach branch lines at depths from near-surface to several hundred meters. The mainline, often monofilament nylon, can extend 20–100 kilometers with 1,000–5,000 baited hooks spaced 30–50 meters apart, deployed from vessels using haulers or reels. These drifting or semi-stationary sets target high-value species like tunas (Thunnus spp.), swordfish (Xiphias gladius), and billfishes, with hooks commonly J- or circle-shaped to improve selectivity. Deployment involves paying out the line with buoys at ends and radio buoys for tracking, soaking for 4–12 hours before retrieval. Demersal longline systems, also known as bottom longlines, are weighted to sink to the seafloor and anchored or allowed to drift along the bottom, with the mainline laid parallel to the substrate using groundlines and anchors spaced every few kilometers. Mainlines are shorter, typically 1–18 kilometers long, with hooks set via snoods at 1–3 meter intervals, totaling hundreds to thousands per set, and baited manually or automatically. These systems target groundfish such as (Hippoglossus stenolepis), (Anoplopoma fimbria), and (Ophiodon elongatus), with sets soaked for 6–24 hours on continental shelves at depths of 50–1,000 meters. Anchors and danish seine anchors prevent drifting, and retrieval uses powered haulers to minimize gear loss. Vertical longline systems, less common but used in specific fisheries like or targeted deepwater , deploy multiple branch lines vertically from a single anchored or buoyed mainline or dropline, resembling trotlines with hooks at varying depths from a surface float. These are suited for confined areas or freshwater environments, such as Alaskan salmon fisheries where lines are set in rivers or nearshore with 50–200 hooks per vertical drop, but represent a minor fraction of global longline effort compared to horizontal pelagic and demersal setups.

Gear Components and Configurations

Longline gear consists of a mainline serving as the backbone, to which numerous branch lines—termed snoods or gangions—are attached at regular intervals, each terminating in a baited . The mainline is generally made of for its strength and low visibility in water, though multifilament rope is used in traditional setups; lengths per segment () typically range from 250 to 800 meters in tuna operations, with total deployments encompassing thousands of hooks, up to 3,000 or more per set. Branch lines measure 1 to 5 meters, constructed similarly from monofilament to minimize tangling and enhance hook exposure. Hooks vary by target species, including J-hooks, circle hooks, or tuna hooks sized from 10/0 to 18/0, baited with , , or artificial lures to attract prey. Weights, such as lead sinkers or distributed along the line, control descent and positioning, achieving sink rates tailored to water depth and current—often 0.5 to 2 meters per second for bottom sets. Buoys and floats, including high-flyer buoys with flags at line ends and radio buoys for tracking, provide marking and limited ; in pelagic setups, lightsticks may be clipped to branch lines to enhance visibility for species like . Configurations adapt to fishing depth and mobility. Bottom longlines anchor or weight the mainline to the seafloor, with buoy lines securing ends for retrieval, targeting like or over substrates up to several kilometers in extent. Pelagic longlines, by contrast, deploy horizontally near the surface or midwater using floats spaced every 30-50 meters to counteract sinking, drifting with currents to intercept migratory pelagics such as and . Gear may be arranged in monofilament straight lines for automated haulers or traditional coils—rope wound in tubs and released in loops—to facilitate manual deployment and reduce snarls in rough seas.

Operations and Target Species

Deployment and Fishing Practices

Longline fishing deployment involves paying out a monofilament mainline from the vessel's while steaming forward at speeds typically between 8 and 12 knots, with branch lines (snoods or gangions) clipped on at intervals of 30 to 50 meters, each bearing a baited . Weights are attached periodically to sink the line to the desired depth, and for pelagic systems, buoys or floats are interspersed every few hundred meters to maintain the line near the surface or at midwater depths of 50 to 300 meters. A single set can extend 50 to 100 kilometers in length for pelagic operations, incorporating thousands of hooks—often 3,000 or more in industrial tuna fisheries—deployed from baskets or reels in a continuous operation lasting several hours. In pelagic longlining, unanchored lines are set to drift freely in the open ocean, marked by radio s at the ends for relocation, with deployment often timed for or night to minimize interactions during setting. The gear soaks for periods up to 12 hours, allowing passive attraction of target species like via such as or chunks threaded onto J- or hooks. Hauling reverses the process: the vessel approaches the high-fly at reduced speed, connects the line to a powered hauler, and retrieves it at 3 to 4 knots for small-scale operations or faster for larger vessels, with crew manually removing hooked fish, discarding , and rebaiting hooks for redeployment. Bottom or demersal longlines differ by being anchored to the with groundlines and anchors at intervals, deployed in coastal or shelf waters from 0 to 1,000 meters deep, with lines shorter at a few hundred meters to 50 kilometers and fewer hooks per set due to the need for precise positioning over structured habitats. No floats are used; instead, weighted leads ensure contact with the bottom, and deployment may involve dropping anchors first followed by the line to prevent tangling. Soaking times vary by target species like or but typically last several hours to overnight, with hauling requiring careful maneuvering to avoid snags on rocky bottoms, often using hydraulic haulers to lift the gear aboard. Across both systems, baiting occurs pre-deployment using automated or manual machines for efficiency in large-scale fleets, with fresh or frozen bait preferred for higher catch rates, and practices emphasize line tension control to prevent hooks from twisting or fouling during payout. Vessels monitor sets via GPS and radar, adjusting for currents that can displace drifting lines, and multiple sets may be deployed sequentially in a fishing trip lasting days to weeks.

Primary Target Species and Catch Composition

Longline fishing primarily targets high-value pelagic and demersal species, with selections varying by gear type, region, and depth. Pelagic longlines, deployed in the upper , focus on large migratory species such as tunas ( spp., including bigeye, yellowfin, , and bluefin) and billfishes like (Xiphias gladius) and marlins, which constitute the bulk of high-seas catches by this method. Demersal longlines, set near the , target bottom-dwelling including (Hippoglossus stenolepis), (Gadus morhua), (Anoplopoma fimbria), ling (Molva molva), and (Dissostichus eleginoides). Catch composition in longline fisheries is multispecies, reflecting the non-selective nature of baited hooks, though target species often dominate reported landings. In global high-seas pelagic operations, tunas and billfishes accounted for the majority of catches as of 2012, representing approximately 9.3% of total marine capture fisheries production and over 77% of revenue in fleets like Hawaii-based operations targeting bigeye and yellowfin tuna. Tropical tunas (albacore, yellowfin, and bigeye) comprised 25-51% of total catch in observed national longline fleets over multi-year periods, with swordfish and other pelagics filling the remainder alongside incidental captures. Demersal fisheries show higher proportions of groundfish, such as hake and cod, but include variable mixes of flatfish and sharks depending on hook size and bait. Regional variations persist; for instance, Atlantic longliners emphasize tuna-like species historically valued since ancient times, while Pacific demersal sets prioritize toothfish in southern waters.

Economic and Social Importance

Global Production and Market Value

Longline fisheries primarily target high-value pelagic species including , , and billfishes, contributing an estimated 400,000 to 450,000 metric tons of tunas annually as of the mid-2010s, or roughly 10% of global tuna production. Dominant producing nations include , , , , and , with Asian fleets accounting for the majority of effort in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, while European and North American vessels focus on the Atlantic. These operations represent a modest fraction of overall global marine capture production, which totaled around 90 million tonnes in recent years, but longline gear's selectivity for large, migratory species amplifies its role in supplying premium markets. The economic output from longline fisheries stems from high ex-vessel and retail prices for fresh or sashimi-grade products, with and often fetching thousands of dollars per metric ton. In the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, longline catches generated approximately $1.6 billion in value in 2023, reflecting stable demand despite slight declines from prior years. Regionally, the Hawaii-based longline fleet lands fish worth about $125 million annually, supporting port economies and export chains to and the U.S. mainland. Globally, longline contributions to the market—valued at over $40 billion at final sale—underscore its disproportionate economic impact relative to volume, though precise aggregates are challenging due to varying gear reporting and species-specific pricing. Profits from high-seas longline operations, a significant subset, have been estimated between negative $364 million and positive $1.4 billion annually without subsidies, highlighting variability tied to fuel costs, quotas, and market fluctuations.

Employment, Industry Scale, and Food Security Contributions

Longline fisheries operate on an industrial scale, with an estimated 7,500 tuna longliners worldwide targeting pelagic species across oceans, accounting for approximately 9% of the global catch of around 5 million metric tons annually. These operations also harvest significant volumes of , , and , contributing to hundreds of thousands of metric tons of high-value catch yearly, though exact global totals for all longline methods remain underreported due to varying national . Economically, the sector generates billions in ex-vessel value; for instance, the Eastern longline and purse-seine tuna fisheries combined yield over $1.2 billion annually, with longline providing premium sashimi-grade products that command higher prices than canned tuna from other gears. In regional examples, Hawaii's longline fleet lands catches valued at about $105 million yearly, supporting port infrastructure and supply chains. Direct employment in longline fisheries is concentrated on vessels, with vessel crews typically numbering 15-30 per longliner, yielding an estimated 100,000 to 225,000 jobs globally in tuna longlining alone, often involving multinational crews from Asia, Europe, and Latin America. These roles demand skilled labor for gear handling and navigation, but conditions vary, with reports of forced labor risks on some high-seas fleets carrying 57,000-100,000 workers collectively. Indirect employment in processing, gear manufacturing, and logistics adds tens of thousands more; for example, Pacific tuna industries, including longline, sustain around 18,000 jobs with plans for expansion. In the U.S., commercial fisheries broadly support millions in related economic activity, though longline-specific contributions are smaller and regionally focused, such as in American Samoa where fleet data indicate ongoing operations amid economic challenges. Longline fisheries contribute to global by supplying nutrient-rich , including omega-3 fatty acids essential for human health, but their impact is modest and indirect compared to small-scale or sources. High-seas longline catches represent about 2.4% of total global production, much of which enters export markets for affluent consumers rather than local subsistence needs in food-insecure regions. In export-dependent economies like Pacific islands, revenues from longline bolster national budgets that fund social programs, indirectly aiding food access, though risks depleting nearshore stocks relied upon by artisanal fishers for direct protein. Locally, in areas like , longline provides fresh, integral to diets and cultural practices, certified under global standards as of 2022. Overall, while fisheries broadly supply 15-20% of animal protein worldwide, longline's focus on high-value species limits its role in alleviating , prioritizing economic returns over volume for the masses.

Environmental Considerations

Bycatch Rates and Species Interactions

Longline fisheries, particularly pelagic operations targeting tunas and swordfish, incidentally capture a range of non-target species, with bycatch rates varying significantly by gear configuration, fishing depth, location, and season. Empirical observer data indicate that bycatch constitutes 5-20% of total catch in many pelagic longline fleets, though precise rates depend on definitions excluding retained non-target species like certain sharks. In the western and central Pacific, for instance, bycatch estimates from logbooks and observers show non-tuna catch rates averaging 10-15% of effort, influenced by factors such as hook depth and bait type. Seabird interactions primarily occur during line setting, as birds scavenge bait from the surface, leading to hooking around the bill or wing. Global estimates suggest at least 160,000 seabirds are killed annually in longline fisheries, with albatrosses and petrels most affected due to their foraging behavior in fishing grounds. In the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery, observer-derived rates averaged 0.132 birds per 1,000 hooks, equating to annual mortalities of around 10,000-16,000 birds in the mid-2000s, though variability arises from environmental factors like wind and moonlight. These rates are higher in shallow-set gear, where lines remain near the surface longer, compared to deep-set configurations. Shark bycatch in pelagic longlines involves species like blue and oceanic whitetip sharks, which are attracted to baited hooks and often suffer post-release mortality from barotrauma or finning practices. In Mediterranean longline fisheries, sharks comprised about 7% of total catch in 2019, with 27,000 individuals bycaught, 81% of which were released alive, though survival rates vary by species and handling. Observer data from tuna longlines indicate shark catch rates of 3-5% by number in many fleets, with blue sharks dominating and discards ranging from 26-152% of large pelagic landings in Canadian Atlantic fisheries, highlighting regional differences in retention practices. Interactions are exacerbated by soak time and hook placement, as sharks detect bait via electroreception. Sea turtle bycatch arises from turtles mistaking bait for jellyfish, leading to ingestion or entanglement, with loggerheads and leatherbacks most vulnerable in surface waters. In U.S. Atlantic and Hawaii-based longline fisheries, post-mitigation interaction rates dropped to approximately 1 turtle per 190,000 kg of tuna caught, representing a 60% reduction from pre-regulation levels, with cumulative annual interactions estimated at 137,800 globally across longline gears. Deep-set longlines exhibit lower rates than shallow-set ones, as turtles forage nearer the surface; for example, U.S. observer data from 2021 reported rates of 0.01-0.07 turtles per 1,000 hooks depending on species. Marine mammal bycatch, including depredation by dolphins and whales removing fish from hooks, occurs but at lower rates, often under 1% of interactions in observed sets, with toothed whales and sharks contributing to gear damage and reduced target catch efficiency. Overall, bycatch composition reflects predator-prey dynamics and bait attractiveness, with empirical studies emphasizing the need for fleet-specific data due to high spatiotemporal variability.

Habitat Impacts and Gear Loss Effects

Bottom longline fishing gear, which deploys weighted lines near or on the seafloor to target demersal species, can cause localized physical disturbance to benthic habitats through contact with the substrate, potentially damaging structure-forming organisms such as deep-sea corals and sponges. Empirical assessments indicate that such impacts are typically limited in scope; for instance, in fisheries, gear contact with sensitive benthic habitats occurred in only 8.2% of fished areas, with disturbance often confined to small patches comprising less than 5% of the seafloor surveyed. Deep-water bottom longlining shows particularly reduced effects on vulnerable marine ecosystems compared to more abrasive methods like , as the gear primarily hooks rather than drags across the bottom, minimizing widespread sediment disruption or habitat homogenization. In contrast, pelagic longline systems, suspended in the water column to target species like tunas and swordfish, exert negligible direct pressure on seafloor or benthic habitats due to their non-contact deployment. Any indirect habitat alterations from pelagic operations stem more from shifts in pelagic community structures influenced by targeted removals rather than physical abrasion. Gear loss in longline fisheries contributes to abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), which persists in marine environments and induces ghost fishing—uncontrolled capture and mortality of aquatic organisms long after gear abandonment. Globally, an estimated 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear, including longlines, enter oceans annually, with longline losses ranking among higher-risk ALDFG types due to their propensity for entanglement and sustained baited hooking of fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. For bottom longlines, lost gear can exacerbate benthic impacts by entangling sessile organisms or smothering sediments, while pelagic variants promote persistent midwater traps that alter local food webs through ongoing predation. Recovery efforts and biodegradable materials have shown potential to mitigate these effects, though empirical data on longline-specific ghost fishing mortality remains limited relative to gillnets or pots.

Comparative Selectivity Versus Other Methods

Longline fishing demonstrates greater species and size selectivity than , as baited hooks primarily attract larger predatory while allowing smaller or non-target species to avoid capture, whereas trawls indiscriminately sweep up benthic organisms, juveniles, and a broad size range of . In surveys for off West Greenland, longline gear exhibited a unimodal selectivity curve peaking at larger sizes (e.g., 60-80 cm for ) compared to the broader, dome-shaped curve of trawls, which captured more small below 40 cm. Similarly, for , longlines and traps captured primarily mature individuals (over 70 cm), while trawls included smaller, pre-reproductive sizes, reducing longline's impact on . Compared to gillnets, longlines offer improved selectivity by relying on active rather than passive entanglement, which gillnets impose across a wider range of sizes and , often leading to higher of non-target fish and marine mammals. Gillnet selectivity for and forms a sigmoid curve favoring medium sizes (45-65 cm), but with elevated incidental catches due to mesh entanglement, whereas longlines' bait specificity minimizes such broad-spectrum interactions, though both methods can overlap in mixed-stock fisheries. In Northeast Atlantic trials, longlines caught relatively more than trawls but fewer overall discards, highlighting their targeted efficiency over gillnets' size-dependent but less species-discriminating capture. Against purse seining, particularly in pelagic fisheries, longlines show variable selectivity; purse seines encircling free-swimming schools of achieve bycatch rates under 1% when avoiding fish aggregating devices, outperforming longlines' typical 5-20% bycatch of , billfishes, and seabirds. However, longlines excel in depth-specific targeting (e.g., deep-set configurations reducing surface ), contrasting purse seines' volume-based enclosure that risks mixed-species schools, as evidenced in tropical fisheries where longline discards are lower for juveniles but higher for elasmobranchs. Overall, longline selectivity advantages stem from behavioral attraction over passive or volumetric capture, though mitigation like circle hooks further enhances it relative to unrefined alternatives.

Safety and Operational Risks

Crew Hazards and Injury Statistics

Crew members on longline vessels encounter elevated risks from mechanical gear handling, including entanglement in high-tension lines and winches during setting and hauling operations, which can result in crushing injuries, amputations, or fractures. Hook punctures, lacerations from knives used in baiting or gutting, and repetitive strain injuries from managing thousands of hooks per set are prevalent, often compounded by slippery decks from bait residue, blood, and . Falls overboard remain a critical threat due to the extended time spent on deck in rough conditions, with longline fisheries in regions like showing 42% of such incidents involving longline vessels in certain areas. Cold exposure and fatigue from long shifts further heighten vulnerability to and impaired judgment. Non-fatal injury data from 's commercial fisheries, including longline sectors, indicate upper extremity lacerations as the most common issue, stemming primarily from gear and fish handling. A analysis of traumatic injuries on freezer-longliners operating in Alaskan waters from 2001 to 2012 revealed that fish handling accounted for about 25% of incidents, with the majority classified as minor (64%) or moderate (33%) severity, such as cuts and sprains, while 3% were serious. Winch-related traumas, though less frequent in longline compared to other gear types (affecting only 3-5% of cases), frequently involve fingers and hands, leading to fractures (23%), amputations (18%), and lacerations (16%). Incidence rates for non-fatal injuries in Alaska longline fisheries vary but align with broader patterns, where upper body injuries comprise around 40% of claims. Fatality rates in exceed those of most occupations, at 114 deaths per 100,000 workers in the from 2000 to 2017, driven largely by vessel disasters (50%), falls overboard (17%), and gear-related incidents. Longline operations contribute disproportionately to deck-based fatalities due to prolonged exposure during hauling, with studies linking 77% of non-vessel incident injuries to machinery or gear mishaps. Globally, claims an estimated 32,000 lives annually, with longline crews facing similar causal risks from line snaps and overboard events, though region-specific data underscore Alaska's longline sectors as particularly hazardous owing to Bering Sea conditions.
Injury TypePrevalence in Longline ContextsCommon Causes
Lacerations/PuncturesMost frequent non-fatal (upper extremities)Hooks, knives, spines
Fractures/Amputations23% and 18% of injuriesGear entanglement, line tension
Strains/Sprains~25% from handlingRepetitive baiting, hauling
Falls Overboard42% in select regionsDeck work in rough seas

Mitigation Measures and Safety Innovations

Mitigation measures for crew safety in longline fishing primarily target hazards such as flyback events during hauling, where snapped lines or bite-offs propel weighted components toward workers, causing lacerations, fractures, or fatalities. Hazard management procedures, including crew positioning away from the hauling zone, maintaining safe distances from lines above the , and using protective barriers, have been recommended to minimize exposure during operations. These protocols emphasize pre-haul assessments and real-time communication to anticipate risks from gear tension or marine life interactions. Safety innovations include Safe Leads, sliding line weights designed to detach and fall away during breakage, thereby reducing the momentum of flyback projectiles compared to fixed weighted swivels. At-sea trials in South African pelagic longline fisheries demonstrated that Safe Leads limited dangerous flybacks to 4.2% of events, versus higher rates with traditional weights, while maintaining effective bait sink rates for reduction. Engineering modifications, such as hydraulic haulers and automated line setters, decrease manual handling of hooks and lines, lowering proximity-related injuries during setting and retrieval; studies on freezer-longline vessels indicate these systems can mitigate traumatic injuries from gear entanglement by automating repetitive tasks. Personal protective equipment (PPE), including and reinforced clothing, reduces severity from hook punctures or line snaps, with observational data from U.S. commercial fisheries showing consistent PPE use correlates with lower hospitalization rates for contact injuries. Comprehensive crew training programs, mandated in regions like the U.S. under standards, focus on equipment familiarization and emergency response, contributing to incremental declines in nonfatal rates; for instance, targeted interventions in fisheries have prevented an estimated 20-30% of handling-related incidents through simulated hazard drills. Overall, integrating these measures has proven effective in high-risk operations, though full adoption varies by vessel size and regulatory enforcement, with peer-reviewed assessments confirming reduced flyback incidents but calling for broader empirical validation on long-term metrics.

Regulations and Sustainability Practices

International Frameworks and Regional Management

The primary international frameworks governing longline fishing derive from the Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982, which establishes coastal states' sovereign rights over fisheries resources within exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and promotes for high seas fisheries, including those targeting highly migratory species like tunas primarily caught via longlining. Complementing UNCLOS, the 1995 Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the Convention on the Law of the Sea relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (UNFSA) mandates effective implementation of conservation measures for such stocks through regional , emphasizing precautionary approaches and considerations applicable to longline operations that often span multiple jurisdictions. The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, endorsed in 1995, provides voluntary principles for sustainable practices, including gear selectivity and reduction in longline fisheries, though its non-binding nature limits enforcement. Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) operationalize these frameworks for longline fisheries, particularly in tuna sectors where longlining accounts for up to 23% of global catch across oceans and involves approximately 7,500 vessels worldwide. Key RFMOs include the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), established in , which sets total allowable catches (TACs) and effort controls for longline fisheries; the Tuna Commission (IOTC), founded in 1993, managing bigeye and stocks with measures like vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and observer requirements; the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), operational since 2007, regulating purse and longline interactions for skipjack and other ; and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), dating to 1949, focusing on eastern Pacific s with time-area closures to mitigate in longline sets. These bodies require members to report catch data, enforce minimum sizes, and adopt mitigation devices like circle hooks and bird-scaring lines, though compliance varies, with some analyses indicating persistent in certain stocks due to incomplete implementation. Management measures under RFMOs often include binding resolutions for longline-specific issues, such as the WCPFC's 2007 prohibition on discarding to prevent waste and the IOTC's 2010 shark finning bans to address incidental captures, which constitute significant in longline operations targeting and . Electronic monitoring and 5-20% observer coverage are increasingly mandated, as in ICCAT's programs since 2017, to verify adherence to quotas and reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) , which undermines stock assessments reliant on longline catch-per-unit-effort data. Despite these efforts, critiques from independent reviews highlight gaps, including insufficient penalties for non-compliance and challenges in allocating rights amid fleet expansions from nations like , , and , which dominate high-seas longlining. Ongoing reforms, such as UNFSA review conferences in 2022-2023, aim to strengthen RFMO performance reviews and transparency, but empirical evidence shows mixed efficacy in reversing declines in some overfished tuna stocks.

Bycatch Reduction Techniques and Efficacy

Several techniques have been developed to mitigate bycatch in longline fisheries, targeting specific non-target species such as seabirds, sea turtles, and sharks, with varying degrees of success depending on fishery type, environmental conditions, and implementation fidelity. For seabirds, primary methods include bird-scaring lines (tori lines), which deploy streamers to deter birds from baited hooks during line setting, and weighted branch lines that accelerate hook submersion below the surface where seabirds forage. Tori lines, when properly deployed, can reduce seabird bycatch by 77-90% in demersal longline operations, as observed in Alaskan fisheries over 14 years, with minimal impact on target fish catch rates. Weighted branch lines, requiring at least 45 grams attached within 1 meter of the hook, further enhance sink rates and have demonstrated efficacy in reducing seabird interactions by sinking hooks beyond foraging depths in seconds. Combining tori lines with night setting—deploying gear after sunset when seabird activity decreases—amplifies reductions, potentially achieving near-elimination of bycatch in compliant pelagic operations across multiple oceans. However, efficacy diminishes without standardized designs or crew training, as suboptimal tori line lengths or tensions fail to cover the full baited zone. For sea turtles, circle hooks—wider, non-offset designs—replace traditional J-hooks to reduce deep gut hooking, which increases post-release mortality, often paired with fish-based baits over squid to lower attraction. In the U.S. North Atlantic swordfish fishery, 4.9-cm wide circle hooks with mackerel-type bait decreased sea turtle bycatch rates by up to 90% and reduced serious injuries compared to J-hooks with squid, though target species catch rates sometimes declined slightly. Meta-analyses confirm circle hooks lower turtle capture probabilities in many pelagic settings, but results vary by region and species; for instance, they proved less effective in some non-U.S. fisheries without bait adjustments, highlighting the need for site-specific testing. Shark bycatch mitigation relies less on specialized gear like weights, which primarily target seabirds, and more on operational adjustments such as avoiding branch lines off floats (shark lines) and using circle hooks, though the latter can inadvertently increase shark catches in some configurations due to altered hooking mechanics. Studies indicate weighted integrated branch lines reduce overall non-target interactions but show mixed shark-specific outcomes, with no universal reduction exceeding 50% without complementary measures like depth targeting or bait optimization. Across techniques, peer-reviewed evaluations emphasize that while individual methods yield 50-100% bycatch drops in controlled trials, real-world efficacy often falls to 60-80% due to non-compliance, gear variability, and environmental factors like wind or currents. Ongoing research prioritizes integrated approaches, as single measures rarely suffice for multi-species bycatch.

Certification Standards and Ongoing Research

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) represents the primary certification scheme for sustainable longline fisheries, evaluating operations against three core principles: maintaining sustainable , minimizing environmental impacts such as and habitat damage, and ensuring effective management systems. Fisheries must achieve scores of at least 80 out of 100 across 28 performance indicators for , with longline-specific assessments emphasizing mitigation devices like weighted lines and bird-scaring lines to reduce interactions. For instance, Hawaii's and longline fisheries received MSC in September 2022 after demonstrating compliance with these standards, including reduced impacts on sea turtles and through gear modifications and observer coverage. Other schemes, such as those guided by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), provide complementary best practices for tropical longline fisheries pursuing MSC approval, focusing on , vessel monitoring, and prohibitions to align with global sustainability benchmarks. These certifications incentivize market access and premiums but require ongoing audits; failure to maintain stock levels or implement improvements can lead to suspension, as seen in periodic reviews of certified longline operations in the . Ongoing research prioritizes bycatch reduction in longline fisheries, with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program funding projects like new bycatch reduction devices tested in partnership with industry, as recommended for fiscal year 2024 implementation. Studies from 2018 onward have developed predictive models using environmental variables to forecast longline fleet locations monthly, enabling targeted avoidance of high-risk areas for species like seabirds and turtles. ISSF-led efforts continue to refine seabird mitigation strategies, including line weighting and streamer lines, while emphasizing skipper training to cut incidental captures by up to 90% in compliant operations. Recent investigations also address human factors in compliance, with a 2022 peer-reviewed analysis highlighting that social incentives and fisher enhance adoption of mitigation gear beyond technical fixes alone. Thematic sessions at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in 2023 focused on long-lived species , advocating integrated approaches combining gear tech with spatial management to improve overall sustainability outcomes in longline targeting. These efforts underscore causal links between unmitigated and population declines, driving empirical refinements rather than unsubstantiated regulatory expansions.

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