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Long Lining

As the name implies long lining means catching the fish by way of a line and baited hooks. There are two main varieties of long lining used in Namibia.

Surface long lining

Surface long lines are used mainly in the tuna fishery. They consist of a main line that can be many kilometres long, supported in the water by a series of floats. Off the main line are branch lines up to 50 metres long. Each branch line carries a baited hook. There can be up to 3000 hooks on a longline.

The line is set as the boat moves forward, which can take from 2 to 6 hours. Once the line is fully extended, it is then hauled in. This process can take up to 12 hours.

Bottom long lining

Bottom longlines are similar in concept to surface longlines but are significantly shorter in length. At one end of the line is an anchor which is dropped to the sea floor. The other end has a weight attached. Depending on the length of the line a series of hauling lines are attached that come to the surface and are marked with buoys. The line is then set from a moving boat, and left for between 6 and 12 hours, before being hauled in using the surface lines.