New Zealand longline fishers have welcomed New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries approval of a ground-breaking innovation as a stand-alone seabird bycatch mitigation measure.

The Hookpod is a UK-designed device that is proven to virtually eliminate the bycatch of albatrosses whilst not affecting the target species catch rate of surface long line fishers. The revolutionary device works by covering the point and barb of the hook during line setting, only releasing the hook at a depth of 20 metres, by means of a patented pressure release system, out of the diving depth of albatrosses as well as other seabirds.

The Hookpod has been trialled over several years and is popular with tuna fisheries wherever they encounter albatrosses, however interest has been especially keen from New Zealand where fishers have been looking for a reliable and easy-to-use alternative to streamers, weights and night-setting. This week the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries approved Hookpod as a stand-alone alternative and the decision has delighted skippers.

Dave Kellian a skipper of 40 years commented “I’ve worked with a range of mitigation options to reduce seabird bycatch and in my opinion the Hookpod is an excellent solution to this problem. I am very excited to have a ‘bolt-on’ solution that achieves better than 10 metres sink that I have ascertained as the minimum depth to remedy seabird bycatch. At 20 metres opening to release the hook, this device is revolutionary. My current mitigation measures meet international standards but are also inconvenient and at times dangerous, especially in heavy weather. From trial findings with Hookpod, it’s a no-brainer that I will be fitting Hookpods this season.”

Skipper of the FV Commission, Mike Te Pou added “Hookpods are an effective, practical and safer option towards seabird mitigation, without compromising your catch rate.

The decision of the New Zealand government to amend regulations for longliners comes exactly 12 months after the WCPFC approved the hook-shielding device for use as a stand-alone alternative to current mitigation measures and marks another highpoint in a highly successful year for Hookpod.

CEO Becky Ingham remarked “The last year has been hugely important for us. Firstly, we gained approval from WCPFC which in turn generated a spike in enquiries from around the region. We are now working with major retailers to help provide sustainably sourced tuna with substantially reduced bycatch, we have new orders coming in and now we have the New Zealand approval to cap a fantastic 12 months.”

However, the next year is set to be even more successful for Hookpod according to Becky:

“In 2020, we plan to have a permanent presence in New Zealand to support demand there; we have ongoing trials using Hookpods as effective mitigation for turtle bycatch, we have another exciting partnership that we hope to announce shortly, we will be increasing our activities in other regions, particularly the Indian Ocean and we will be launching a marketing campaign for the Hookpod LED which has all the benefits of the Hookpod Mini but provides a re-usable fishing light, removing the need for chemical lightsticks, thereby reducing plastic waste in the oceans.”

For more information on Hookpod email info@hookpod.com or visit Hookpod.com