Protected marine species and the tuna longline fishery in the Pacific Islands

This booklet has been produced by the Fisheries Training Section of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community to raise awareness of the tuna longline bycatch issue in Pacific Island countries.

The bycatch issue in the longline tuna fishery - the accidental catching on longlines of endangered and protected species, particularly turtles - is one that could eventually result in the loss of important markets for tuna from Pacific Island countries. The protection of threatened species and the Pacific Island longline fishery requires both awareness and cooperative action regarding bycatch.

This booklet provides information for fishermen, boat owners, processors and others in the longline fishing industry. It is designed for use by fisheries trainers and the final sections contain training aids and a list of additional reference materials.

It is hoped that this booklet will be used by trainers as the basis for incorporating sessions on the bycatch issue into existing and planned training courses for fishing industries across the Pacific.