April 10, 2000

Why can long-lining be such a destructive fishing practice?

Long-lines are legal in most international and territorial waters, but they are indiscriminate, meaning that they catch a broad spectrum of marine species in addition to their target species. Every year hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, small cetaceans and sea birds (in particular albatrosses), are caught and drowned on the baited hooks of long lines. The effect on populations of many species are devastating.

In many parts of the world, long-liners have killed so many albatrosses that they are now endangering with extinction several species of these grandest of ocean-roaming birds. Australia recently declared the magnificent Wandering Albatross to be globally endangered, and officially designated long-lining as a key threatening process.

Listen to Roger Payne's Voice from the Sea piece entitled:
The devastation caused by long-line fishing.

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