Longline — fact or fiction?

By Erwin Bursik

I HAVE already voiced my view that longlining is not a major threat to the stocks of pelagic fish species of the inshore fishing areas along the South African coast where the vast majority of the ski-boat anglers ply their sport.

But am I wrong?

Two bits of washed up line and hooks I’ve some across recently seem to point to possible physical longline activity off our coast. The photos alongside are photographic evidence of this.

The first hook and line I extracted from the mouth of a ±20kg bullshark caught off my boat, Mr Ski-Boat, during April 2021 in 15 metres of water off the second whaling station on Durban’s Bluff.

This shark took a live mackerel while I was fishing for ’cuda. It was in very good condition and certainly did not seem to be affected by the “mouth ring” in the corner of its mouth.

The second hook and line was picked up on the beach, at Westbrook on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, by my brother, Ed.

These two finds do indeed worry me, and I wonder if they’re a sign that I should review my perception. Perhaps longliners do indeed pose a threat to our inshore fishing.

Any marine biologist or person associated with longlining or who has access to physical longliners and who has a view regarding these two finds, please send us your views or thoughts as to where these terminal rigs could have emanated from. You’re welcome to email <bursik@mags.co.za>.

1.The hook found in the shark’s mouth was about a 9/0 and a similar pattern to the hooks most of us use when bottomfishing for daga or cracker. What is strange is the style of knot used. The leader is also a lot heavier than I would have thought any bottom or commercial line fisherman was likely to use.

The leader didn’t appear to be bitten off as it was trailing alongside the shark’s mouth and had been for some considerable time judging by the growth on the leader and especially on the knot.

I purposely did not clean this because I wanted to show the configuration of the knot which is not one I am familiar with.

2.The tangled leader and hook combination found on Westbrook beach shows significant wear of the hook eye by the ring attaching the hook to the tangled leader.

Was this wear from years of use or was it wear from a fish dragging this twisted bunch of leader for what appears to be a long time?

Any views or thoughts from our readers or their connections would be appreciated.