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The Longline fishing method is considered ideal for catching fish that inhabit deeper waters, such as albacore, bigeye and yellowfin.

Longline fisheries supply the fresh and frozen tuna markets, with many vessels also targeting other non-tuna species. Fish are caught one by one and frozen in blast freezing systems, the same freezing method used for sashimi.

Key Statistic

Roughly 9% — Percentage of total global tuna catch attributed to longline fishing

Bycatch

The average bycatch rate for longline fishing is more than 20% of the total catch. Mitigation methods, such as circle hooks and tori lines, have been developed to prevent the bycatch of marine life such as turtles and birds.

Fuel Efficiency

According to an ISSF-commissioned study, the longline method burns roughly 1,070 liters of fuel to land one ton of tuna.

RELATED RESOURCES

Longline Skippers Guides

On our ISSF Guidebooks site, we offer skippers guides for longline fishers, in both online and downloadable PDFs.

ISSF’s Longline Skippers Guidebooks provide an overview of sustainable fishing practices, including bycatch mitigation and handling and fisheries management.

Longline Tuna Catches

Use our “Interactive Stock Status and Catch Tool” to visualize the current longline tuna catch —and longline catch trends over time.

Download the data in different file formats, and generate custom graphics to share via email, Twitter, or Facebook.

LONGLINE NEWS