Most tuna caught by longliners are large size yellowfin, bigeye, and albacore. The prime yellowfin and bigeye often are exported fresh to overseas markets. Most of the albacore is for canning.

About 10% of the tuna catch in the WCPO region is by longline gear, about 240,000 tonnes in 2009. There are two major types of longliners: (1) relatively large vessels with mechanical freezing equipment (often based outside the Pacific Islands), and (2) smaller vessels that mostly use ice to preserve fish and are typically based at a port in the PacificIslands.

More on the longline fishery...