| Over the last 16 years, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC - formerly the South Pacific Commission) has been developing and providing information on mid-water fishing techniques targeting the larger, deeper-swimming tunas that aggregate around FADs. SPC masterfishermen have conducted in-country fishing trials to test methods, such as vertical longlines, and train local fishermen in their construction and use. Vertical longline catch rates have varied considerably due to a range of reasons with no catches reported in some locations, or just sharks, to highs of over 6.5 kg /10 hooks/hour being recorded in other locations. Other methods like drop-stone, palu-ahi, and single-hook drifting lines have been developed within the region, with SPC... |
