Jo Rowley has been a pioneer in commercial line fisheries in the South West Pacific for over 35 years.
He was a leader in the East Coast Tuna and Billfish Fishery and one of the first to develop deep setting techniques for Big Eye Tuna and Albacore in the Coral Sea.
In the early nineties, Jo helped establish the fishery for Broadbill Swordfish off South East Queensland where it quickly developed to a catch of 2,500t each year. He also completed a survey for the Government of Tonga targeting Swordfish in their fishing zone.
Since retiring from long-line fishing, Jo has developed new techniques using the latest advances in synthetic fibre, custom designed hydraulic reels, and advanced electronics to target deep water species with reduced by-catch of unwanted or vulnerable species.
Jo is experienced in all forms of commercial line fishing and has owned and operated his own fleet of vessels. He has experience in designing vessels, hydraulic systems, electronics, and fishing equipment.
Jo has held a Master Class 4 and 5, Med 3 for over 30 years and is available as a consutlant to fishing companies and government fisheries departments interested in developing their long-line or deepwater line fisheries resources.