The semi-industrial longline fishery 

The semi-industrial longline fishery started in 1995 and comprises medium-size vessels ranging from 14 to 23 metres in length. Their main target species are broadbill swordfish, big eye and yellowfin tuna with marlin and sharks as the primary bycatch. In 2018 there were 41 locally-owned vessels, amounting to an average total capacity of 1,600 gross tonnage. The number of vessels in 2018 shows a 73% increase over 2015 (11 vessels). The fishery operates from the edge off the Mahé Plateau (for some species) and also on the high seas. 

The highest recorded catch from the semi-industrial fishery was in 2018 which amounted to 1228.8 MT. A majority of the catches from this fishery are exported, except for a small proportion of line fish and tuna. Contrary to the industrial fishery, the semi-industrial longline fishery is a comparatively small fishery. However, it has substantial capacity for growth. The fishery has previously experienced a decline in catch and export of swordfish to the EU due to a ‘red alert’ as a result of high cadmium and mercury levels in 2003 and 2013 respectively. In 2014, the alert on swordfish was lifted and this has re-opened the EU market.

Year No. Vessels Covered No. Trips Mean Trip Duration (Days) Effort (Hooks) Catch Rate (MT/1000 Hooks) Catches (Mt)  
Yellowfin  Bigeye Swordfish Sailfish Marlins Shark Others  Total Catch
2009 9 113 10 481,668 0.68 68 59 170 15 5 12 1 329
2010 9 107 10 505,534 0.58 58 26 186 5 12 6 2 295
2011 4 55 10 287,938 0.83 46 23 141 5 7 15 1 238
2012 7 63 10 330,466 0.82 47 38 159 3 9 14 1 271
2013 6 68 11 398,770 0.66 55 24 162 3 5 12 0 262
2014 9 24 10 118,973 0.69 15 5 58 1 1 2 0 82
2015 11 56 11 205,505 0.95 98 33 47 5 11 1 0 195
2016 29 254 11 1,234,642 0.79 576 130 185 20 53 2 2 969
2017 31 330 13 2,052,804 0.57 740 117 215 24 60 2 6 1162
2018 30 297 15 2,153,119 0.59 831 112 229 20 69 1 5 1267

 

 

Semi Industrial Longline Vessels Information