Operational Longline Data Format
Operational (logbook) data provide high-resolution, event-level information on fishing activities. Each record generally corresponds to a single fishing activity (e.g., set, haul, or day) and contains critical information required for scientific analysis and compliance monitoring including date, location (latitude and longitude), effort metrics (e.g., number of hooks), gear specifications, and species-specific catch (by weight and/or number).
These data support a range of data analyses, including catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) standardization, habitat modeling, species interaction studies, and compliance checks. Due to the fine-scale temporal and spatial granularity of these data, they are key inputs to regional stock assessments and ecosystem analyses.
Field formatting details
- Datetime must be reported in ISO 8601 format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.
- Latitude and longitude must be reported in decimal degrees with 3 decimals, the valid range is -180 to 180 for longitude and -90 to 90 for latitude.
- E.g.
-5.432for latitude and170.215for longitude
- E.g.
- Catches must be reported in kilograms (kg) and number of individuals (n), and must be whole values (cannot use decimal values).
- Species code must be FAO standard Species Code (3 characters).
- E.g.
YFT- Yellowfin Tuna orALB- Albacore Tuna.
- E.g.
- Each port has a unique 5 letter code. Please refer to this document provided by WCPFC.
Documents structure and data fields format
Operational data are structured in three interconnected levels: Trip, Activity, and Catch.
Separate tables are used for each data level to maintain clarity and reduce redundancy.
Each table is connected using unique identifiers: trip_id for the Trip level and activity_id for the Activity level.
These identifiers must be numeric or alphanumeric and unique within the set of files.
👉 Data providers can also download ready-to-use CSV data templates for each level (trip, activity, and catch).
CSV Data Templates
Trip level
This is the header of the trip, it has one row per trip.
Example document at trip level
| trip_id | vessel_name | vessel_reg | ircs | flag_code | fleet_code | target_species | departure_port | unloading_port | departure_datetime | unloading_datetime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRIP001 | Pacific Star | 970935 | 6FHY78 | US | AS | YFT | WSAPW | WSAPW | 2025-03-01 05:38 | 2025-03-18 22:47 |
| TRIP002 | Pacific Dawn | LFV036 | 6FHY78 | US | AS | ALB | TOTBU | TOTBU | 2025-02-01 16:59 | 2025-02-12 11:28 |
Field descriptions at trip level
| Field name | Type | Format | Description | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trip_id | String | Alphanumeric - refer to Trip level identifier | Unique identifier for the trip | Yes |
| vessel_name | String | Alphanumeric | Name of the fishing vessel | Yes |
| vessel_reg | String | Alphanumeric | Registration number of the vessel | Yes |
| ircs | String | Alphanumeric | International radio call sign | Yes |
| flag_code | Text | 2 letter flag-state code (UN/LOCODE) | Authorized flag state | No* |
| fleet_code | Text | 2 letter code for sub-fleet (see fleet reference table) | Sub-fleet code | No* |
| target_species | String | FAO 3 letters Code | Main target species code | No |
| departure_port | String | WCPFC port code | Port of departure | Yes |
| unloading_port | String | WCPFC port code | Port of unloading | Yes |
| departure_datetime | Datetime | YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS | Date of departure | Yes |
| unloading_datetime | Datetime | YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS | Date of unloading | Yes |
* In the case a vessel is already identified, for example having a WCPFC Vessel ID and is listed in WCPFC Record of Fishing Vessels , the flag_code and fleet_code can be omitted.
Activity level
This level contains one row per activity within a trip. At least one Activity entry should be recorded each day, and it is possible to have multiple activities in the same day.
Example document at activity level
| trip_id | activity_id | activity_type_id | activity_datetime | latitude | longitude | hooks_n | hooks_bt_float | target_species | species_bait1 | species_bait2 | species_bait3 | mainline_len | branchline_len | floatline_len | lightstick_n | vessel_speed | linesetter_speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRIP001 | ACT001 | 1 | 2025-03-03 07:05 | -10.25 | 170.69 | 250 | 25 | YFT | SQU | 80.0 | 12.5 | 20 | 17 | 6 | 11 | ||
| TRIP001 | ACT002 | 1 | 2025-03-04 10:14 | -10.502 | 170.3426 | 250 | 25 | YFT | SQU | 80.0 | 12.5 | 0.5 | |||||
| TRIP001 | ACT003 | 1 | 2025-03-05 08:45 | -10.703 | 170.176 | 250 | 25 | YFT | SQU | 80.0 | 10 | 0.5 | |||||
| TRIP001 | ACT004 | 2 | 2025-03-06 12:00 | -10.80 | 170.2 | ||||||||||||
| TRIP001 | ACT005 | 5 | 2025-03-07 12:00 | -10.9031 | 170.24 | ||||||||||||
| TRIP002 | ACT006 | 1 | 2025-03-03 07:05 | -19.559 | 163.22 | 250 | 25 | ALB | CHP | 110.0 | 12.5 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 12 |
Field descriptions at activity level
| Field name | Type | Format | Description | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trip_id | String | Alphanumeric - refer to Trip level identifier | Unique identifier for the trip | Yes |
| activity_id | String | Alphanumeric - refer to Activity level identifier | Unique identifier for the activity | Yes |
| activity_type_id | Number | Integer: refer to Reference Table 1 | Type of activity | Yes |
| activity_datetime | Datetime | ISO 8601 Date and time: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM | Date and time of the activity | Yes |
| latitude | Number | Decimal Degrees | Latitude of the activity location | Yes |
| longitude | Number | Decimal Degrees | Longitude of the activity location | Yes |
| hooks_n | Number | Integer | Number of hooks | Yes* |
| hooks_bt_float | Number | Integer | Number of hooks between floats | Yes* |
| target_species | String | FAO 3 letters Code | Target species code | No |
| species_bait1 | String | FAO 3 letters Code, refer to Table 2 | Bait species used in set | No |
| species_bait2 | String | FAO 3 letters Code, refer to Table 2 | Secondary bait species used in set | No |
| species_bait3 | String | FAO 3 letters Code, refer to Table 2 | Tertiary bait species used in set | No |
| mainline_len | Number | Unit: Meters | Mainline length in km used in the set | No |
| branchline_len | Number | Unit: Meters | Length of the branchline | No |
| floatline_len | Number | Unit: Meters | Average length in meters of the float lines | No |
| lightstick_n | Number | Integer | Total number of lightsticks used in the set | No |
| vessel_speed | Number | Unit: Knots | Vessel speed during the activity | No |
| linesetter_speed | Number | Unit: Knots | Speed in knots of the line setter (i.e., the line shooter speed) | No |
* Mandatory for activity activity_id = 1 (Fishing Set)
Catch level
One Catch entry must be provided for each species caught during a Fishing Set, either retained or discarded.
Column is_discarded indicates whether the catch was discarded (1) or retained (0).
Example document at catch level
| trip_id | activity_id | sp_code | sp_n | sp_wt_kg | is_discarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRIP001 | ACT001 | YFT | 16 | 1643 | 0 |
| TRIP001 | ACT001 | YFT | 2 | 102 | 1 |
| TRIP001 | ACT001 | SKJ | 24 | 110 | 0 |
| TRIP001 | ACT001 | FAL | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TRIP001 | ACT002 | YFT | 20 | 180 | 0 |
| TRIP001 | ACT002 | SKJ | 15 | 95 | 0 |
| TRIP002 | ACT006 | YFT | 12 | 122 | 0 |
| TRIP002 | ACT006 | SKJ | 18 | 87.5 | 0 |
Field descriptions at catch level
| Field Name | Type | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| trip_id | String | Alphanumeric - refer to Trip level identifier | Unique identifier for the fishing trip |
| activity_id | String | Alphanumeric - refer to Activity level identifier | Unique identifier for the fishing activity |
| sp_code | String | FAO 3-letter code for the target species | FAO 3-letter code for the target species |
| sp_n | Number | Number of individuals caught | Number of individuals caught |
| sp_wt_kg | Number | Weight of the catch in kilograms | Weight of the catch in kilograms |
| is_discarded | Number | discarded (1) or retained (0) | Indicator of whether the catch was discarded (1) or retained (0) |
References
Reference Table 1: Activity Type identifiers
| activity_type_id | Description | Corresponding Activity Code on SPC/FFA Longline regional logsheet |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fishing Set | 1 |
| 3 | Transit | 3 |
| 4 | No fishing - Breakdown/other issues | 2 |
| 5 | No fishing - Bad weather | 2 |
| 6 | In port | 4 |
| 18 | Transhipping or bunkering | 5 |
Reference Table 2: Example Bait species table
Bait species short list based on FAO 3 letters Code.
| FAO Code | Taxa/species categories |
|---|---|
| CLP | HERRINGS, SARDINES, NEI |
| DPT | DECAPTHURUS SP. - MUROAJI |
| MAX | MACKERELS NEI |
| MIL | MILKFISH |
| MSD | MACKEREL SCAD |
| PIL | EUROPEAN PILCHARD (=SARDINE) |
| SAP | PACIFIC SAURY |
| SQU | VARIOUS SQUIDS NEI |
| TUN | TUNAS NEI |
| OTH | Comment on bait type |
Reference Table 3: List of Fleets
| country_code | fleet_code | gear_code | is_active | ocean_codes | description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AO | NULL | O | 1 | AO | AO Other |
| AU | NULL | O | 1 | SP,SX,WP | Australia Other |
| AU | NULL | P | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Australia pole-and-line |
| AU | NULL | T | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Australia troll |
| AU | AF | S | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Australia purse seine, inside the Australian Fishing Zone |
| AU | AU | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Australia domestic and chartered longline |
| AU | EX | S | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Australia distant-water purse seine |
| AU | JV | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Australian joint-venture Longline |
| BZ | NULL | L | 1 | SP,SX,WP | Belize Longline |
| CA | NULL | S | 1 | SP,NP,WP | Canadian Purse seine |
| CA | NULL | T | 1 | NP,NX | Canada troll |
| CK | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Cook Islands longline |
| CK | NULL | O | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Cook Islands Artisanal |
| CK | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | Cook Islands purse seine |
| CN | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | China offshore and distant-water longline |
| CN | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | China purse seine |
| CN | DW | L | 1 | SP,NP,NX,SX | China distant-water longline |
| EC | NULL | S | 1 | WX,EP,WP | Ecuador Purse seine |
| EP | NULL | L | 1 | SP,NP,EP | EP Longline |
| EP | NULL | O | 1 | EP | EP Other |
| EP | NULL | P | 1 | EP | EP Pole and line |
| EP | NULL | S | 1 | EP | EP Seiner |
| EP | NULL | T | 1 | SP,NP,EP | EP Troll |
| ES | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | EU - Spanish Longline |
| ES | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | EU - Spanish purse seine |
| FJ | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Fiji longline |
| FJ | NULL | O | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Fiji Artisanal Tuna Fisheries |
| FJ | NULL | P | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Fiji pole-and-line |
| FM | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,NX,SX,WP | Federated States of Micronesia longline |
| FM | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | Federated States of Micronesia purse seine |
| GU | NULL | L | 1 | NP,NX,WP | Guam longline |
| ID | NULL | G | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Indonesia gillnet |
| ID | NULL | H | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Indonesia handline (large-fish) |
| ID | NULL | K | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Indonesia small-fish hook-and-line |
| ID | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Indonesia longline |
| ID | NULL | O | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Indonesia unclassified |
| ID | NULL | P | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Indonesia pole-and-line |
| ID | NULL | T | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Indonesia troll |
| ID | DW | S | 1 | WX,WP | Indonesia distant-water purse seine |
| ID | ID | S | 1 | WX,WP | Indonesia domestic purse seine |
| IO | NULL | O | 1 | IO | IO Other |
| JP | NULL | G | 1 | WX,SP,NP,NX,SX,WP | Japan drift gillnet |
| JP | NULL | N | 1 | WX,SP,NP,WP | Japanese Gillnet |
| JP | NULL | O | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Japanese Other |
| JP | NULL | T | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Japanese Troll |
| JP | CS | L | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Japan coastal fleet longline |
| JP | CS | P | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Japan coastal fleet pole-and-line |
| JP | CS | S | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Japan coastal fleet purse seine |
| JP | DW | P | 1 | WX,SP,NP,NX,WP | Japan offshore and distant water pole-and-line |
| JP | DW | S | 1 | WX,SP,NP,NX,WP | Japan offshore and distant-water purse seine |
| JP | JP | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | Japan offshore and distant water longline |
| KI | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | Kiribati longline |
| KI | NULL | O | 1 | SP,NX,WP | Kiribati Artisanal |
| KI | NULL | P | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Kiribati pole-and-line |
| KI | NULL | S | 1 | WX,NX,WP | Kiribati purse seine |
| KR | NULL | G | 1 | WX,SP,NP,NX,SX,WP | Korea drift gillnet |
| KR | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | Korea longline |
| KR | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | Korea purse seine |
| MH | NULL | L | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Marshall Islands longline |
| MH | NULL | S | 1 | WX,NX,WP | Marshall Islands purse seine |
| MX | NULL | O | 1 | WP | Mexico Other |
| MX | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | Mexico purse seine |
| NC | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | New Caledonia longline |
| NC | NULL | P | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | New Caledonia pole-and-line |
| NI | NULL | S | 1 | WP | Nicaragua purse seine |
| NP | NULL | L | 1 | SP,NP | NP Longline |
| NP | NULL | T | 1 | SP,NP | NP Troll |
| NR | NULL | L | 1 | NP,NX,WP | Nauru longline |
| NR | NULL | O | 1 | WX,SP,NX,WP | Nauru Artisanal Tuna Fisheries |
| NR | NULL | S | 1 | WX,NX,WP | Nauru purse seine |
| NU | NULL | L | 1 | SP,SX,WP | Niue longline |
| NU | NULL | O | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Niue Artisanal |
| NZ | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | New Zealand longline |
| NZ | NULL | O | 1 | SP,SX,WP | New Zealand Other |
| NZ | NULL | P | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | New Zealand pole-and-line |
| NZ | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | New Zealand purse seine |
| NZ | NULL | T | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | New Zealand troll |
| PA | NULL | S | 1 | WP | Panama Purse seine |
| PF | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX | French Polynesia longline |
| PF | NULL | P | 1 | SP,SX | French Polynesia pole-and-line |
| PF | NULL | T | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | French Polynesia troll |
| PF | O | 1 | WX,SP,SX,EP,WP | French Polynesia Other | |
| PG | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Papua New Guinea longline |
| PG | NULL | P | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Papua New Guinea pole-and-line |
| PG | NULL | S | 1 | WX,SX,WP | Papua New Guinea purse seine |
| PH | NULL | G | 1 | SP,NP,WP | Philippines gillnet |
| PH | NULL | H | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Philippines handline (large-fish) |
| PH | NULL | K | 1 | NP,NX,WP | Philippines handline (small-fish) |
| PH | NULL | L | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Philippines domestic longline |
| PH | NULL | O | 1 | NP,NX,WP | Philippines artisanal gears (not specified) |
| PH | NULL | R | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Philippines ringnet |
| PH | DW | S | 1 | WX,WP | Philippines distant-water purse seine |
| PH | PH | S | 1 | WX,NX,WP | Philippines domestic purse seine |
| PT | NULL | L | 1 | SP,SX,WP | EU - Portuguese Longline |
| PW | NULL | L | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Palau longline |
| PW | NULL | P | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Palau pole-and-line |
| SB | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | Solomon Islands longline |
| SB | NULL | P | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Solomon Islands pole-and-line |
| SB | NULL | S | 1 | WX,SX,WP | Solomon Islands purse seine |
| SN | NULL | L | 1 | SP,NP,NX,WP | Senegal Longline |
| SU | NULL | L | 1 | SP,NP,NX,WP | Soviet Union longline |
| SU | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | Russia purse seine |
| SV | NULL | S | 1 | WP | El Salvador Purse seine |
| TK | NULL | O | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Tokelau Artisanal Tuna Fisheries |
| TO | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Tonga longline |
| TO | NULL | O | 1 | WX,SP,SX,NX,WP | Tonga Artisanal Tuna Fisheries |
| TV | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Tuvalu longline |
| TV | NULL | O | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Tuvalu Artisanal Tuna Fisheries |
| TV | NULL | P | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Tuvalu pole-and-line |
| TV | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | Tuvalu Purse seine |
| TW | NULL | G | 1 | SP,NP,NX,SX,WP | Chinese Taipei drift gillnet |
| TW | NULL | O | 1 | NP,NX,WP | Chinese Taipei Other |
| TW | NULL | R | 1 | WX,WP | Chinese Taipei domestic SEINE |
| TW | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | Chinese Taipei purse seine |
| TW | DW | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | Chinese Taipei distant-water longline |
| TW | OD | L | 1 | NP,NX | Chinese Taipei offshore domestic longline (REDUNDANT -STLL) |
| TW | OS | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | Chinese Taipei small-scale Longline (STLL) |
| US | NULL | G | 1 | SP,NP | United States of America Gillnet |
| US | NULL | O | 1 | WP | United States of America (Sports fishery) |
| US | NULL | O | 1 | WP | United States of America (Unclassified) |
| US | NULL | P | 1 | SP,NP,NX,WP | United States of America Pole and line (Albacore) |
| US | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | United States of America purse seine |
| US | NULL | T | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | United States of America Troll (Tropical) |
| US | NULL | T | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | United States of America (Albacore) troll |
| US | AS | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP | American Samoa longline |
| US | AS | T | 1 | WX,SP,SX,NX,WP | American Samoa (US) Troll |
| US | GU | L | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Guam (US) Longline |
| US | GU | T | 1 | WX,SP,SX,NX,WP | Guam (US) Troll |
| US | HW | H | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Hawaii (US) Handline |
| US | HW | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,NX,WP | United States of America longline (Hawaii) |
| US | HW | P | 1 | SP,NP,NX,WP | Hawaii pole-and-line |
| US | HW | T | 1 | WX,NP,SX,NX,WP | Hawaii (US) Troll |
| US | HW | T | 1 | SP,NX,SX,WP | Hawaii (US) Troll and Handline |
| US | MP | L | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Northern Marianas Islands (US) Longline |
| US | MP | T | 1 | WX,SP,SX,NX,WP | Northern Mariana Islands (US) troll |
| US | US | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,NX,WP | United States of America longline |
| VN | NULL | G | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Vietnamese Gillnet |
| VN | NULL | H | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Vietnamese Handline |
| VN | NULL | L | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Vietnamese Longline |
| VN | NULL | S | 1 | WX,NP,NX,WP | Vietnamese Purse seine |
| VU | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,NP,SX,NX | Vanuatu longline |
| VU | NULL | O | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Vanuatu Artisanal Tuna Fisheries |
| VU | NULL | S | 1 | WX,WP | Vanuatu purse seine |
| WF | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Wallis and Futuna Longline |
| WF | NULL | O | 1 | WX | Wallis and Futuna artisanal |
| WF | NULL | T | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Wallis and Futuna Troll |
| WN | NULL | L | 1 | SP,NP | North Western Pacific longline |
| WN | NULL | P | 1 | North Western Pacific pole-and-line | |
| WN | NULL | T | 1 | SP,NP | North Western Pacific troll |
| WP | NULL | L | 1 | SP,NP,EP | WP Longline |
| WP | NULL | O | 1 | EP | WP Other |
| WP | NULL | P | 1 | EP | WP Pole and line |
| WP | NULL | S | 1 | EP | WP Purse Seine |
| WS | NULL | L | 1 | WX,SP,SX,WP | Samoa longline |