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How did automated longline systems reduce the number of crew members needed on fishing boats?
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commercial fishing
Worker in the Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo.
Automated longline systems have significantly reduced the labor requirements on fishing vessels by mechanizing the most time-consuming and physically demanding aspects of the fishing process.
In traditional longlining, crews must manually bait thousands of hooks, shoot the lines, and haul them back in—a process that can take up to 18 hours per day. Modern automated systems have revolutionized these operations by:1
- Mechanized Baiting and Handling: Advanced systems, such as those developed in Norway, automatically bait hooks during the setting process.2
- Continuous Processing: Many longliners now utilize systems where hooks are baited and fish are removed mechanically in a continuous loop.3
- Storage and Organization: Automated systems clean and stow hooks on magazine racks during the hauling process, eliminating the need for manual sorting and storage.2
By streamlining these tasks, these technologies allow vessels to set a higher number of hooks while operating with significantly smaller crews, addressing the industry's ongoing difficulty in procuring and maintaining large labor forces.12