Posted on 11 February
2011
Thousands of endangered marine turtles could
be saved in the Coral Triangle region if
the fishing industry started using innovative
and responsible fishing gear, a WWF analysis
shows.
Towards the Adoption
of Circle Hooks to Reduce Fisheries Bycatch
in the Coral Triangle Region makes a strong
case for governments, fishing organizations
and fisheries to start implementing Circle
Hooks.
“All it takes is a simple
change in fishing gear to help reduce marine
turtle bycatch while upholding more efficient
and responsible fishing practices,” says
Keith Symington, WWF Coral Triangle Bycatch
Strategy Leader.
How do Circle Hooks
work?
Circle Hooks are simple
yet innovative fishing gear that are sharply
curved back in a circular shape and have
demonstrated a significant reduction in
the hooking rate of marine turtles in longline
fisheries by as much as 80% compared to
traditional hooks.
Because of its round
shape and inward-pointing sharp end, Circle
Hooks are found to be less harmful to turtles
if swallowed and do not cause much internal
damage once pulled out, as opposed to currently
used slimmer hooks with a more exposed pointed
end that can cause severe damage to turtles
when accidentally ingested.
Studies show that shifting
to Circle Hooks maintains previous catch
rates of target species at the very least
or generates an even higher catch rate of
target species in the majority of cases.
Due to their tendency
to hook in the mouth, Circle Hooks also
increases post-hook survival of fish, leading
to harvesting fresher and better quality
seafood.
Obstacles to widespread
adoption
Despite its proven efficacy,
Circle Hooks have yet to be standardized
and broadly accepted in the region. The
continued application of tariffs and import
tax on eco-friendly fishing gears poses
as one of the obstacles hindering its mainstream
use.
“This slow transition
to Circle Hooks is as surprising as it is
unacceptable,” says Symington. “We need
the support of governments and regional
bodies to ensure that such readily available
and proven effective tools are made accessible
to help put a stop to this easily preventable
problem.”
Bycatch is major threat
to marine life
Bycatch or the indiscriminate
catch of non-target species in fisheries
remains to be one of the most critical marine
conservation issues in the Coral Triangle
today, threatening marine biodiversity and
the delicate ecological balance of oceans.
In this region alone, tens of thousands
of marine turtles are estimated to be accidentally
killed each year by longline fishing operations.
“It is imperative for
the fishing industry to start adopting more
responsible fishing methods if they are
to benefit from the growing demand for more
responsibly-caught seafood; the use of Circle
Hooks provides a win-win solution for all,”
adds Symington.
An increasing number
of seafood companies and individual fishers
have already caught on to the market benefits
of using Circle Hooks and have been fully
on board WWF’s Circle Hook program, attesting
to the economic and environmental effectiveness
of this tool and seeing it as a crucial
step towards sustainability.
“Through this policy
brief, WWF aims to create enabling conditions
to enjoin more players in the fishing sector
to fully utilize Circle Hooks.”
