An international sport fishing body is urging Government not to introduce longline fishing into Bermuda's waters.

The International Game Fish Association has submitted a letter, giving its reasons why it believes longlining is not sustainable or lucrative.

The organisation, based in Florida, says the negative impact on marine resources outweighs any "marginal" profits, and that the levels of bycatch upset the balance of marine ecosystems.

Jason Schratwieser, IGFA conservation director, stated the organisation's position to Government officials in an e-mailed letter.

It says: "The International Game Fish Association would like to strongly urge Bermuda to not allow longline fishing in their territorial waters for several reasons.

"First, longline fishing is only a marginally profitable industry; in fact, international studies have documented that many vessels tend to lose money or earn only very small returns. While the profitability of the industry may be small, the negative impacts on your marine resources will be far greater.

"Longline fishing methods are very unselective and result in very high bycatch of untargeted species. Because longline gear is passively fished and left unattended for hours, mortality rates for bycatch can be quite high.

"Several species of marine turtles and birds listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as endangered species are very vulnerable to longlines. Of particular concern to Bermuda is the endangered Bermuda Petrel (the Cahow) which, as a seabird, may be vulnerable to longlines as well.

"In addition, each year longlines kill many billfish and sharks that have little commercial value but are very important to recreational anglers."

Mr. Schratwieser added: "Besides the sheer number of bycatch generated by longlines, many of these species are large animals and/or top predators that play a critical role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems. Large-scale removal of these species has been shown to affect the abundance and average body weight of other species down the food chain.

"Additionally, un-targeted species such as billfish, sea turtles, sharks and birds are important to other lucrative industries such as sport fishing and scuba diving.

"Numerous countries around the world are currently struggling with issues such as these. IGFA strongly urges Bermuda to consider the potential negative impacts associated with longlining and to investigate alternative methods of fishing that are both economically viable and ecologically sustainable."

A letter writer to The Royal Gazette also questioned yesterday the potential introduction of longlining following planning approval for the Southside fish processing and storage centre.

Government says the shoreside landing facility will revitalise the local commercial fishing industry, but it is not known as yet whether this will include longlining.

Situated near L.F. Wade International Airport, the facility will offer ice, fuel, bait, fishing gear and supplies, and freezer facilities, serving as a staging post for high seas vessels heading into Bermuda's 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Bermuda's director of Conservation Services, Jack Ward, has urged "extreme caution" by Government in considering the introduction of longline fishing.

However in a letter to Planning on November 10, Environmental Protection director Fred Ming said: "The (Southside) facility will provide important economic relief/assistance to the established inshore fishery. However, it is essential to the development and success of an offshore longline fishery within Bermuda's 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone."

Yesterday, the letter writer 'Concerned in Southampton' questioned the depth of research by Government into the commercial feasibility of longline fishing.

"The PLP is well aware large pelagics are at a fraction of their historical population levels and continue to decline so much so that the Atlantic catch quotas of these species is strictly controlled via annual country quotas in an attempt to avoid the extinction of these species," he said.

"For example, The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) has recently set reduced tuna quotas for 2009, 2010 and 2011.

"Given the extremely grave environmental damages caused by high seas fishing methods, notably longlining, for large pelagics, I can't imagine the Government would proceed without a very careful research of this issue as it applies to Bermuda's marine environmental sustainability and attractiveness as a tourist destination, not to mention the inclusion of public opinion on the matter.

"Bermuda is home to the premier blue marlin sports fishery in the world which earns it millions of dollars a year from visiting sportsfishers, hotel occupancy, charters etc.

"The blue marlin sports fishery is a highly sustainable fishery which releases alive more than 95 percent of fish caught. I would be surprised if Bermudians will accept a high seas fishery that indiscriminately kills seabirds, turtles, sharks and marlin alongside commercial target species."

A Government spokesman however has told The Royal Gazette that it is to seek public opinion on longlining at a future date. No comment was offered on the IGFA letter yesterday.

However Government is currently compiling a report to go to Cabinet on the commercial feasibility of longlining, following experiments in 2007 aboard the US vessel, Eagle Eye II.

It is understood that if longlining was introduced, this would be on a small scale for local fisherman and that various conservation measures to cut down on bycatch, such as using circle hooks, could be enforced.