Trials with Monofilament Longline gear on MFV Gannet in Whitby

Summary

A 39ft Whitby vessel, MFV Gannet was chartered for 15 fishing days between 14 January and 12 February 1985. The vessel was fitted with equipment for the purpose of monofilament longlining. The vessel worked the system for 3 weeks of trials. Catch rates were at times well up to those of traditional longliners working alongside, but on average they were lower reflecting a number of factors. The murkiness of the water, characteristic of the winter months, appeared to obscure the advantages of monofilament lines. The time taken to bait the monolines and the crew learning time are problems still to be resolved.

Publication Reference No.

IR1201

Publication date

01 March 1985