We conducted experiments to compare the catch rate of bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna between circle hooks and straight shank hook in the Korean tuna longline fishery at the eastern and central Pacific Ocean from 2005 to 2007. We analyzed difference of fork length, survival and hooking location between a circle hook and a straight shank hook for both tunas, respectively. There was no difference in the mean fork length size of yellowfin tuna caught on the two type of hook but bigeye tuna was significant. In case of survival, there was no difference between two hook type, but the difference of hooking location was significant for both species. We also analyzed to find determinants of both tunas catch rate using generalized linear models (GLMs) which were used latitude, longitude, year, month, depth, hook type, bait type and so on as independent variables. Spatial factors, latitude and longitude, and temporal factors, year and month, affected catch rate of bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna. And also, depth such as a marine environment factor was influenced on catch rate.

The circle hook experiments were conducted to compare the catch rates of target and bycatch species between J hook and circle hooks in the tuna longline fishery of the eastern Pacific Ocean between 1˚48'S-7˚00'S and 142˚00'-149˚13'W from July 15 to August 12, 2005. In the target species group no significant differences among 3 types hook, between size 4.0 traditional tuna hooks(J-4) and size 15 circle hooks(C15), and between C15 and size 18 circle hooks(C18) were revealed, but significant differences were found between J-4 and C18. In the bycatch species group significant differences were found among 3 types hook, between J 4 and C15, and between J-4 and C18, but no significant differences were revealed between C15 and C18. Large circle hook(C18) had the lowest catch rate for tunas and for other fishes, and the small circle hook(C15) had lowest rate for billfishes and sharks. The length distributions for bigeye tuna are very similar for the 3 hook types. There were very slight differences in length size between hook types in the bycatch species.