Field Study 361 | Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction

Georges Bank

Article:

A comparison of catches of swordfish, Xiphias gladius, and other pelagic species from Canadian longline gear configured with alternating monofilament and multifilament nylon gangions

Target catch:

Swordfish

Study Type:

Field study in the wild

Effect on target catch:

There were no differences in the mean length at capture, but signficantly more swordfish were caught on the monofilament gangions.

Effect on bycatch species:

Signficant differences in catch rates for blue sharks and pelagic stingrays between the two gangions, with more animals being caught on the monofilament gangions. No significant difference was found between gangions for mako sharks.

Bycatch species:

Elasmobranchs

Fishing Gear:

Hooks-and-Lines

Reduction technique:

Alternative leader design