Download AEBR 138 Fish and invertebrate bycatch and discards in New Zealand ling longline fisheries from 1992–93 until 2011–12

Provides annual estimates of bycatch and discard levels in the ling longline fishery, based on observed catch per hook raised to the total fishery using commercial effort data. Ling made up about 68% of the observed catch; the main bycatch species were spiny dogfish (13%) and ribaldo (3%). Annual bycatch (mostly QMS species) was about 2000–4000 t; annual discards were about 1150–2460 t. Of 116 individual species examined, 14 showed a decreasing trend and 21 species an increasing trend in annual bycatch levels. Trends in bycatch rates of the main bycatch species showed little correlation with trawl survey time series.