Commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico use surface longlines
to catch yellowfin tuna and swordfish. This fishing gear
incidentally injures and kills approximately 80 types of marine
wildlife including spawning bluefin tuna and endangered sea
turtles. Highly selective gears such as green sticks and
swordfish buoy gear have been shown to reduce this bycatch while
effectively catching yellowfin tuna and swordfish. Oil spill
restoration funds from Deepwater Horizon could help pay for a
gear transition program that would phase out wasteful surface
longlines and keep fishermen in business. To view complete
citations, please download the fact sheet below.