The longline, commonly known as palangaro in Italian, is one of the oldest fishing tools, serving as an effective trap for capturing both surface and deep-sea fish.
This tool, particularly popular in southern Italy, is designed for species like gilthead sea bream and white seabream, though it can also attract sea bass, saddled seabream, and a variety of bottom-dwelling fish such as serranids, groupers, or scorpionfish.
Recreational Fishing with the Longline
Today, longlining is also widely used among recreational fishers, who are regulated by DPR No. 1639 of October 2, 1968, allowing them to use longlines equipped with up to 200 hooks.
However, as of January 30, 2024, Minister Lollobrigida decreed that recreational units may deploy no more than 50 hooks per vessel. [See the decree here].
Using the longline requires skill and experience, but it generally yields a high quantity and quality of catch. In some areas, longline fishing provides sufficient results to sustain fishing businesses, while in others—particularly where other fishing activities occur—the yield is lower. Still, longlining is an energy-efficient and highly selective fishing method, respectful of marine resources. The longline can be likened to an extended handline equipped with numerous hooks.
Longline Fishing Method
Hooks are attached to the main line at regular intervals using shorter lines, or “snoods,” with a slightly smaller diameter. The distance between each hook varies but is generally over twice the length of the snoods. Onboard, the entire longline setup is stored in a dedicated container (“basket” or “box”) that holds the main line, snoods, and hooks.
Equipment Needed for Preparing a Longline
The longline, or palangaro, is a time-honored tool used by small-scale fishers throughout the Mediterranean, also known as coffa, palangaro, or catalana in various regions. The fishing method and equipment specifics vary according to geographic location and local fishing traditions.
Setting the Longline
Longlines can be deployed and anchored near the seabed using weights at the ends of the main line to prevent drifting in currents (“fixed” or “bottom longlines”). These are primarily used for catching demersal fish. In contrast, “drifting” or “surface” longlines are set a few meters below the surface to target large pelagic fish.
Hook sizes used in longlines allow selective capture of different fish species. Longlines can be used year-round, both day and night, with a wide range of fresh or frozen bait depending on target species. For bottom longlines, bait might include hermit crabs, peanut worms (Sipunculus nudus), sea cucumbers, razor clams (Solen marginatus), sand crabs, shrimp, strips of cuttlefish, or pieces of octopus or squid.
For drifting longlines, bait typically includes sardines or small mackerel. Bottom longlines catch mainly white seabream, rays, spurdog, monkfish, turbot, moray eels, common pandora, hake, conger eels, scabbardfish, dentex, groupers, gurnards, striped bream, brown meagres, seabreams, and sea bass, while drifting longlines are mostly used for tuna and swordfish, as well as bonito and albacore.
The success of longline fishing depends significantly on the number of hooks used. Professional fishers employ multiple hook-filled baskets to ensure worthwhile catches. Longline fishing is energy-efficient and highly respectful of resources due to its selective nature. By increasing hook size, incidental catches—such as sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, and juvenile fish—can be minimized, helping to protect species with key ecological roles and maintain the marine food web’s balance.
