March 16, 2021 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee will meet this week to take action on several items, including consideration of longline gear changes that could help give incidentally caught sharks greater opportunity to survive.
Most vessels in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery use wire leaders in the terminal portion of the branchline between the hook and the weighted swivel to reduce the risk of crew injuries resulting from flyback on the vessel. Wire leaders make it difficult to remove the terminal portion of the branch line from sharks or other protected species that cannot be brought onboard. Switching to monofilament nylon leaders would allow crew to remove gear closer to the hook and may facilitate a shark’s ability to break free by biting through the line. Tagging studies show that shorter trailing gear gives sharks a better chance of survival.