Scotland’s Future Catching Policy: selectivity proposals 2026

Longline fishing is the use of long, usually suspended, lines equipped with baited hooks which are deployed from a series of buoys. After ‘soaking’ for several days, these are then hauled in and the individual fish are removed, usually by hand, from the hooks and the hooks are rebaited and redeployed. This method of fishing is very selective and yields a very high quality of catch. However, there are issues with incidental sea bird mortality as they target the bait on the hooks as the gear is deployed or the catch as the lines are hauled.

This fleet segment comprises of approximately 10 over 10m fishing vessels in Scottish waters who use demersal long lines as their primary method of fishing.

What do we have now?

• The longline fleet is currently monitored under the UK BMP.
• As of November 2021, there is a mandatory requirement under fishing vessel licence conditions for all fishing vessels operating in UK waters to report any bycatch (incidental mortality or injury) of marine mammals within 48 hours of the end of the fishing trip. There is no such requirement to report bycatch of seabirds. As of May 2025, no marine mammal bycatch has been reported to the MMO for this fleet.
• There is currently no legal requirement to deploy mitigation measures in the fishery in UK waters. However, some mitigation measures are used voluntarily by vessels fishing in Scottish waters e.g. bird scaring lines.

What needs to change?

• From data gathered through the UK BMP, bycatch of seabirds, which includes Northern fulmar, Northern gannet, great skua and great shearwater is of greatest concern in this fleet segment. A great deal of work has been carried out in partnership with the fleet, who have invested significant effort to develop and trial practicable and effective mitigation measures.
• This has included development of bird scaring lines, or ‘streamers’, which are brightly coloured lines that are towed from the vessel, over the area where the baited hooks are deployed to deter birds from entering that area. They are considered an effective method and can significantly reduce bycatch in some fisheries. Trials are at an advanced stage where several stages of practicality testing have been carried out to produce technical specifications for streamers that are both practicable and long enough to protect the length of line at which seabirds are most vulnerable to bycatch. Efficacy testing is now underway in partnership with the fleet. Practicality trials of other mitigation methods, such as altered sinking regimes, are also ongoing.

What are we proposing will change?

• Introduce a requirement to use bird scaring lines
• Promote best practice measures for reducing sensitive species interactions, including measures such as offal management and night setting.

What the end result will be?

Enhancing mitigation of seabird bycatch by moving voluntary measure into mandatory requirement.