Tuna fishing methods

Below are brief explanations of some of the most common tuna fishing methods and techniques.

Drift net

A gill net that is unattached meaning it can drift with the current. Drift nets are commonly used for tuna fishing as well as to catch shark and squid.

Drift net fisheries are one of the major threats to dolphins and because of this the EU brought in a ban on drift nets longer than 2.5km in 1992. Problems persisted and because of this a full EU ban was brought in ten years later.

Fish Attraction Devices (FADs)

It is known that tuna fish often swim with dolphins and whale sharks. By imitating the call of these creatures, fishermen can attract tuna to their boats to maximise their fishing haul.

Handline

One of the oldest techniques for fishing - using lines and hooks. This method is highly selective - great for sustainable tuna fishing - as fish are caught live and the fisherman can easily toss back unwanted catches.

A disadvantage of this fishing method is that it can be slow, so many automated systems have been developed to aid the fisherman.

Trolling

Often used to catch tuna (albacore and skipjack) as well as other fish like barracuda, marlin and salmon, trolling involves multiple lines with bait being drawn through the water by boat.

Harpoon

A very selective method of fishing - the target must be in sight before it can be caught, meaning a very low rate of wastage. Normally limited to large fish like tuna and swordfish. Harpooning has earned a bad reputation for its effect on whale numbers.

Suggestions:
Read about how to maximise your haul from these tuna fishing methods in the Advanced Secrets of Tuna Fishing e-book.

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Sustainable tuna fishing

Overfishing of tuna can lead to huge problems, not only for tuna but also for the other types of fish affected by some tuna fishing methods. While overfishing can cause direct problems for tuna fish populations - often the wrong kind of fish is caught - this can harm another species' numbers as well as disrupt the food chain. Some organisations, such as Greenpeace, are calling for supermarkets to stock sustainable seafood only. Types of tuna that Greenpeace are worried about include albacore, bigeye and bluefin.

Because of varying degrees of regulation regarding tuna fishing and canning, it can sometimes be very hard to know how the tuna being sold in the shops was caught. Currently there is no label or stamp on tuna tin labels that can assure sustainable fishing. Some terms - such as 'dolphin friendly' - mean very little as there are no laws, guidelines or minimum criteria that they have to meet. While dolphin friendly tuna certainly helps dolphin numbers, it can still impact other types of sealife.

Certain countries have very strict tuna fishing regulations - in 2006 the EU and a number of countries in northern Africa agreed to severely cut down on tuna fishing before a complete ban on bluefin tuna fishing was agreed upon in 2007 because of dwindling numbers - while others turn a blind eye completely.

Skipjack and yellowfin tuna are generally caught using purse seine nets which, unfortunately, also catch a lot of unwanted sea creatures that can lead to a lot of waste. As well as a host of small fish, unintentional catches include:

• small tunas
• dolphins
• sharks
• turtles
• mahi mahi
• triggerfish
• billfish
• wahoo

While sea turtles are sometimes re-released in decent condition, the other unwanted catches are generally wasted.

Hook and line or troll catches are generally recommended for better targeting of tuna fish.


Recommended reading:

Advanced Secrets of Tuna Fishing
Sustainable Seafood
Sustainable Seafood Recommendations