THE PROBLEM

Bycatch of seabirds in pelagic longline fisheries is estimated between 160,000 and 320,000 annually (Anderson et al., 2011). Most frequently by-caught are albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters. Seventeen of the 22 species of albatross are threatened with extinction. Numerous gear modifications have been applied in order to tackle this problem with methods such as line weighting, night setting and the use of streamer lines successfully demonstrating seabird bycatch reduction where used correctly.

It is widely accepted that correctly used line weighting in longline fisheries is one of the simplest and most effective methods of minimising seabird bycatch. However, in many pelagic longline fisheries around the world there is reluctance to adopt a line weighting regime that will sink fishing gear rapidly to reduce seabird bycatch. In many cases this is due to safety concerns caused by traditional leaded swivels causing serious injuries, and even fatalities, when they fly-back at the crew in the event of line breakage (e.g. from shark bite offs) during line hauling.

THE SOLUTION

In response to crew safety concerns, Fishtek Marine worked closely with fishermen from the east coast tuna fishery, the Australian Antarctic Division, and Australian Fisheries Management Authority to develop a sliding lead concept – The Lumo Lead.

The Lumo Lead, rather than being crimped onto the line, slides onto the monofilament and slides down the line in the event of a bite-off. In addition, when the hook is pulled from the fish’s mouth (or on rare events when the hook straightens under tension) near or on the surface, the Lumo Lead slides down the line, dampening the energy of the recoiling line and hook. Thus, the likelihood of injury to the crew is greatly reduced.

Whilst Lumo Lead significantly reduces the chances of fly backs, Fishtek Marine do not guarantee Lumo Leads will never result in flybacks from happening. To this end, crew must continue to be vigilant and wear the appropriate PPE whilst on deck.