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Long lining for fish
Longline
gear
consists of units of leaded ground line in lengths of 100 fathoms which
are referred to as “skates.” Each skate has approximately 100 hooks
attached
to it. “Gangens,” or lines between the hooks and the groundline,
are either tied to or snapped on to the ground line. A "set" consists
of
one or more baited skates tied together and laid on the ocean bottom
with
anchors at each end. Each end has a float line and a buoy attached.
Hooks
are typically baited with frozen herring, squid, or other fish.
Depending
on the fishing ground, depth, time of year,
and bait used, a set is
fished
2 to 20 hours before being pulled. Longlines are normally pulled off
the
ocean floor by a hydraulic puller of some type. The fish are cleaned
soon
after being brought aboard and are kept on ice to retain freshness.
Here is a simple
schematic of
a typical "set":
A
professional
fisherman, who
is caring of the resource, is one of the best vanguards of that
resource.
Our personal thoughts are that long liners are among the best. Each
species
can be targeted individually with little to no by-catch of other fish.
The line is laid and retrieved, never left in the ocean to continually
fish. Nor does it scoop up indiscriminately everything in it's
path,
as some methods can. There is no impact on the ocean habitat itself -
all
outcroppings, coral beds etc are not damaged.
Smaller fish are
gently shaken
off below the water line and swim rapidly away. They live to grow and
reproduce,
thus insuring a future for the industry and the resource.
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