There are a handful of longliners operating from Viking Village Dock and Lighthouse Marina, accounting more than 500,000 lbs of product yearly. Our boats fish from the Carolinas to Nova Scotia’s Grand Banks in search of pelagic species such as Yellowfin and Bigeye Tuna, Albacore, Swordfish, Mahi and Tilefish.

 

Longlining is among the most conservative methods of fish harvesting.  Longline gear is comprised of a continuous mainline supported by flat lines with regularly spaced leaders that end with baited hooks.

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Today’s longline gear has many conservation benefits.  The interval between longline hooks is slightly less than the length of a football field.  The consequent reduced number of hooks minimizes the capture rates of non-targeted species.  Additionally, the lighter, longer monofilament gear allows greater movement of captured fish and higher survival rates.  Many fish are landed live so the marketable species can be processed quickly to provide a high-quality food product, while non-marketable species are released alive.