Hook Shielding Devices

Hook-shielding devices encase the point and barb of longline hooks during line setting, and thus prevent seabirds from being hooked during this period. Seabirds primarily attack baited hooks in the upper reaches of the water column. Effective hookshielding devices should therefore release hooks from their protective encasements at a depth of at least 10 m or after an immersion time of at least 10 minutes, to ensure that the baited hooks are released beyond the foraging depth of most seabirds. There is potential for these devices to reduce sea turtle bycatch but this is yet to be examined. See 'Hook Pod' and 'Smart Tuna Hook'.

Video about Hook Shielding Devices - produced by the New Zealand Department of Conservation

  1. Birdlife International, ACAP (2019) Hook Shielding Factsheet. English, Bahasa Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Simplified & Traditional Chinese.