Hookpod has been demonstrated to be the most effective method of preventing seabird bycatch in pelagic longline fishing. No seabirds means more fish. Here are some other benefits:
There are two Hookpod models.
The Hookpod Mini is a smaller, more compact version which has the sole purpose of preventing seabird bycatch. It is primarily designed for fisheries where longline fishing lights are not used.
The Hookpod LED is larger and heavier and contains a built in LED fishing light, removing the need for chemical light sticks.
We designed the Hookpod with fishers and for fishers, to be easy-to-use and to minimise any operational impact. There are four simple steps to setting and using Hookpods, the diagram and video below explain how this works.
Contact us if you have any questions. We’re here to help!
There are four simple steps to setting and using Hookpods, the diagram, instruction sheet and video below explain how this works.
When hauling, simply flick the Hookpod to ensure that water droplets are removed from the pressure chamber. The pods can then be closed and stored; either hung from the hook in the swivel, which works best if pods are less than 1 metre from the hook, or simply fleeted in the bin along with the branch lines.
We recommend spraying Hookpods with fresh water as often as feasible as this prevents the build-up of crystals, thus increasing reliability and prolonging the Hookpod’s life.
Both models of Hookpod, the Mini and the LED, have been developed in collaboration with the fishing industry over many years.
“Every day, hundreds of albatross die in longline fisheries. But there is a unique and exciting new solution to halt this. It's called a Hookpod. Hookpods stop birds getting caught as they dive for baits. They are effective, easy to use, safe and economic for fishermen. If every pelagic longline fishing fleet used Hookpods, I believe we can stop the accidental death of these magnificent ocean wanderers. Let us hope it is only a matter of time before their use becomes universal."
“I have been a longline fisherman and owner / operator working in Australian and New Zealand tuna fisheries for over 40 years. 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 m sink that I have ascertained as the minimum depth to remedy seabird bycatch. At 20 m opening to release the hook, this device, combined with its fast sink rate, is revolutionary.”
“These Hookpods are a great invention and they are working well for us. It has taken away the dangers of using lead weights on our gear. At first, I was a bit suspect about using them thinking it could affect our catch but after using them I have noticed that our fishing has not been affected in any way. On a few occasions the Hookpods actually out-fished our regular gear and caught more fish!
Not one single bird has been caught on the pods so far from the tests we have run and yes, we have caught the odd bird on our regular gear! Shooting and hauling is no different to how we do it with the regular gear. It just takes the crew a few sets to get used to them.”
“I really liked the equipment and I intend to continue using it. In my opinion, the Hookpod is a mitigation measure more efficient than bird scaring lines, line weighting and night setting. It’s a pleasure to help to develop this technology, which in my view is the solution to prevent seabird bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries.”
“Currently I use a combination of 60 g swivels 1 m from hooks, a Tori line with 12 m towing point, achieving 140 m aerial coverage, as well as night setting. Sadly, I often find this is not fully effective. This combination of 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.”