The commercial hook-and-line (here after 'line') fishery is one the mainstay fisheries in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Figure 1). In 2014, line fishermen harvested almost 1 million pounds worth $3.5 million dollars, which is about 42% of the Commonwealth's landings and 39% of the dockside revenues (NMFS, 2016). There are several types of line fishing in Puerto Rico. The five most popular methods include vertical bottom lines (locally known as calas) which account for 17% of the

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... s overall landings, followed by handlines (cordeles de mano, 14%), troll lines (silgas, 6%), rod and reels (cañas, 5%) and longlines (palangres,1%). Figures 2 and 3 show that vessels that use vertical bottom lines and handlines are responsible for the largest share of the landings (72%) and dockside revenues (81%) derived from line fishing(NMFS, 2016).