Despite being banned in the Galapagos Islands since 2000, longlining continues to impact the marine life of Galapagos. But what is longlining and why is it so controversial?
Former Communications & Marketing Officer at Galapagos Conservation Trust
Longline fishing is a technique used to catch fish in open water. It involves a main float line which is strung out across vast distances up to 100 km. Then, secondary vertical lines are attached at regular intervals with baited hooks. A 100 km line can have roughly 3,000 hooks. These long lines are used near the surface to catch open-water fish like tuna, or near the seafloor to catch bottom-dwelling fish. Longline fishing has been a source of controversy in Galapagos ever since the creation of the marine reserve in 1998, and it continues to occur illegally.
The major concern is that modern longline fishing equipment is very efficient and highly non-selective. The catching of a non-target species is called ‘bycatch’. Bycatch often consists of vulnerable or endangered species which are attracted to the bait and can get caught on the lines as they swallow the hook or become entangled. Sharks, which need to keep swimming to allow oxygen to pass over their gills, can suffocate on the lines. Other animals, such as sea turtles and waved albatrosses, can end up drowning.
It’s estimated that 100,000 albatrosses globally are killed by longlining every year. That’s one every five minutes. Currently, 15 of the world’s 22 albatross species are threatened with extinction, including the waved albatross, which is found in Galapagos, with its primary feeding grounds on Española island.
On average, longlines consist of about 35% of non-target species, but it is thought that bycatch can represent up to 90% of the catches in ecosystems like Galapagos.
A study published in 2020 analysed data from a 2012-2013 long-line fishing project in Galapagos. A total of 4,895 animals from 33 species were captured from 12 vessels. Of those, 16 species were protected megafauna, including Galapagos sharks, blacktip sharks, oceanic manta rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks, thresher sharks, silky sharks, Galapagos green sea turtles, Galapagos sea lions and Galapagos fur seals.
Longlining poses a huge threat to sharks in Galapagos, which are already being targeted for their fins. In 2017, a Chinese fishing vessel Fu Yuan Leng 999 was intercepted in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) by Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) rangers and members of the Ecuadorian Navy. The boat had more than 6,000 dead sharks on board. In addition, in May 2020, 26 tonnes of shark fins were seized by Hong Kong customs officials inside two shipping containers from Ecuador, worth $1.1 million.
The GNPD estimates that if longline fishing is reinstated in the GMR, over 10,000 sharks will be caught annually.
However, a secondary threat is the need for large quantities of bait. These are usually mullet or other similar fish that are caught in coastal bays using nets. If used in shark nursery grounds, this can have a serious impact on their early life stages.
Following nearly 20 years of negotiations, the UN High Seas Treaty was finally ratified in 2025. This landmark agreement puts mechanisms in place to create new marine protected areas in international waters, which will help protect the waved albatross and many other migratory marine species from industrial and destructive fishing methods.
GCT is also funding cutting-edge research to track sharks and albatrosses so that we can give policymakers the evidence they need to keep damaging fishing practices out of Galapagos and ensure that wildlife is protected. We are also working with partners on the Islands to make sure the local community sees the ‘spillover’ benefits of ocean protection, with healthy oceans full of fish for all and using our Alberto the Waved Albatross storybook to nurture the generation of empowered ocean ambassadors in Galapagos.
The waved albatross is now considered to be Critically Endangered – the final waypoint on the road to extinction. Will you help us protect marine life from unsustainable and destructive fishing methods?
