Australian Longline

Fisheries Related

Malcolm McNeill

Australian Longline, an innovative deep water fishing company based in Hobart, owns two longline vessels; the Antarctic Aurora and the Antarctic Discovery. Both vessels operate in some of the harshest marine environments on earth between the 50th parallel and the Antarctic coastline, enduring icy conditions and terrible storms which in turn can be underpinned by the notorious, relentless Southern Ocean swell.

The Patagonian Toothfish that finally appears on the plate is testimony to the work ethic of our teams. This fish is one of the world’s great seafood delicacies, sought after for its firm, white flesh. The fisheries that the company operates in are managed in accordance with ecosystem-based measures set by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA). Full-time government observers are on board to monitor its practices, study the fish biology and continually assess fish stocks.

The high environmental standards that are delivered by our company and crews, combined with an ecosystem based and precautionary approach to stock assessments have enabled the fisheries that we operate in to become certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Australian Longline has also been a partner in the drive to protect the fishery from illegal, unregulated and unrecorded (IUU) operators by working closely with Government and conservation groups and as an active member of the Coalition of Legal Toothfish Operators (COLTO).