Unanswered Forum Topics

The use of circle hooks (16/0) instead of J hooks (size 2) on pelagic longline gear, reduced the incidental capture of immature loggerhead sea turtles and did not affect the catch rates or fish size of the target species. There was also a significant difference in hook location between the two hooks, with more J hooks being swallowed.

Catch rates of blue marlin, snake mackerel and sharks were lower when nylon monofilament leaders, instead of wire leaders, were used on pelagic longline gear but bigeye tuna and black marlin catch rates increased. (No effect on yellowfin). Nylon leaders also had higher bite-off rates than the wire leaders.

The yarrow fisheye bycatch reduction device reduced the weight of small bycatch by an average of 22.7% and the number of seasnakes caught by an average of 43.3%, with no loss of tiger prawn.

A semi-flexible exclusion grid with a bar spacing of 15.5 cm reduced dolphin bycatch in the Pilbara trawl fishery by close to 50% and reduced the bycatch of sea turtles, large sharks and rays. However, the fate of the dolphins that encountered the grid and escaped is unknown.