Literature Review of Soak Period Bycatch Mitigation Measures for New Zealand’s Surface Longline Fleet

New Zealand’s surface longline fleet deploys roughly 1.2 million hooks per year in New Zealand waters, targeting high value pelagic species such as swordfish and southern bluefin, albacore, and bigeye tuna. The fishery’s impact on both seabird and turtle populations in New Zealand’s waters has caused concern amongst fisheries managers and the Department of Conservation. This has prompted the enforcement of stricter bycatch mitigation measures by Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ).

MRAG provided New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) with an up-to-date synthesis of bycatch mitigation measures for seabirds and turtles during the soak period of surface longline fishing. A series of applicaebl mitigation measures were collated, summarized, and analysed for their potential efficacy in reducing seabird and turtle bycatch in New Zealand, as well as any barriers to implementation that they may be associated with. The findings from the literature review, collation and analysis stages were summarized into a series of recommendations for the DOC to take forward, with the focus being on future testing of new measures to reduce soak period bycatch of these focal taxa within the surface longline fishery.