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How does pole-and-line fishing catch tuna?

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A worker in dark clothing inspects large frozen tuna lined up on the floor at Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, Japan, using a tool to check the fish. — commercial fishing Worker in the Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo.

Pole-and-line fishing is a selective method used in tropical waters to catch tuna and related species like albacore. The process relies on attracting fish to the vessel by throwing live bait overboard, a practice known as chumming. Water spraying is often used to further entice the tuna and to camouflage the shadows of the boat and crew.1

Fishermen use poles—typically bamboo—ranging from two to 10 meters in length, equipped with barbless hooks to simplify the removal of the catch. Depending on the size of the fish, multiple poles may be linked to a single hook, requiring close cooperation among the crew. Larger operations may utilize deck- or rail-mounted automated poles that use hydraulic or electric power to swing hooked fish onto the deck and remove the hook mechanically. To facilitate the work, vessels are often designed with low freeboards or specialized crew racks that extend over the water, allowing the angling crew to stand side by side along the vessel's edge.12