Gear loss reported by longline fishing vessels for the 2020 and 2021 fishing seasons

Gear loss as reported by longline vessels from the 2020 and 2021 fishing seasons, including differences in line loss by gear type, is reviewed following recommendations made at WG-FSA-18. Vessels reported 1 363 km of line lost in the Convention Area, of which 22% were complete lines. There was a difference in the relative reporting of lost hooks by gear type, with rates of loss ranging from 2.5 to 4.6% for each gear type for the past two seasons. There was a significant difference in the frequency of complete line loss between gear types, with a higher rate of complete line loss for trotline than for Spanish or autoline. New fields for reporting gear loss in an updated C2 form are discussed.