French electronic tagging trial in bluefin longline fisheries aims to reduce bycatch

Connected Ocean reported that "A French research initiative reported by Connected Ocean is testing novel electronic‑tagging techniques to better characterise bycatch caught during bluefin tuna longline operations and to measure survival of released non‑target species," framing experiments taking place in early 2026. The reporting ties the work to longline bluefin operations and signals a move beyond observational cameras to gear-mounted electronics that record what happens at the hook.

Project fragments from Oceansconnectes describe the prototype as an "electronic box placed near the hook," a physical innovation intended to "maximise the survival of species caught incidentally." The two descriptions together suggest researchers are deploying tag or sensor packages directly on gear during sets and hauls, though the available details do not name the manufacturer, attachment method, battery life, or which hook positions carry the device.

The Nature Conservancy materials place this French trial in the wider context of electronic monitoring, defining the approach plainly: "Electronic monitoring (EM) is the use of onboard video cameras, GPS, and sensors to automatically track and verify fishing activity." TNC emphasizes EM's practical outcomes, stating that EM "provides detailed data on fishing effort, catch composition, and bycatch of non‑target species and adherence to environmental and social commitments" and that EM "drives confidence that seafood products have been harvested legally, sustainably and without labor abuses."

TNC’s Large Scale Fisheries Program lists its operational goals as "Build healthy target stocks; Reduce bycatch of vulnerable species; Eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and Improve socioeconomic resilience of resource," and ties those goals to strategies including developing innovative business models, increasing fisheries transparency, and integrating sustainable fisheries with marine spatial planning. Personnel named on the TNC slide include Associate Director of Science & Conservation Craig Heberer and Global Fisheries Project Coordinator Meghan Fletcher, with a photo credit to © DAVID HILLS.

TNC materials further note global adoption: the organization is advancing EM in more than 18 countries, with named places including Tuvalu, Indonesia, French Polynesia, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Seychelles, Kenya, Mauritius, Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, United States, European Union, Tanzania, Gabon, Ghana, Mexico, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Australia and Panama. That list underscores the scale and precedent for testing on‑vessel electronic systems before regulatory uptake.

Key operational details of the French longline trial remain unresolved in the public fragments: the exact French research institutions or vessel partners, the trial locations (which French waters or fleets), device technical specifications, sample sizes and trial design, the specific non‑target species being monitored, and the method used to determine post‑release survival. Those gaps will determine how rapidly managers can use results to change handling protocols or bycatch reporting.

Early 2026 deployments put the trial at a moment when TNC and others are pushing EM to verify safe handling and release practices; researchers will need to publish device specs, survival metrics, and analysis of bycatch composition before fisheries managers can consider integrating the near‑hook electronic approach into longline bycatch mitigation policy.