Estimation of bycatch with bony fish, sharks, and rays in the 2025 Hawai'i permitted deep-set longline fishery

McCracken (2019) describes the methods used to sample the deep-set fleet and estimators of bycatch. The observed and estimated numbers were derived using Hawaiʻi Longline Logbook Data Set (Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2026) and the Longline Observer Data System (Pacific Islands Regional Office, 2026). Observer coverage of the deep-set fleet declined from 13% in 2024 to 7% in 2025, reflecting the ongoing reduction of the human observer program (NOAA Fisheries, 2024).