Ok---for all of you 'fishing leader' guys-----how far from the village was the ROV when these were taken, AND 800 feet down? HUM--I'll bet 1/2 to 3/4 miles out then 800 down. Fishing leader? I dont think so, but you guys are smarter than me!
Tom
One word, boat. Native people fish from boats or outrigger canoes, you have seen pictures of outrigger canoes, haven't you? What do you think they used them for, only for joy riding the girlfriend on Saturday night? It was common to sail many miles offshore to fish from these canoes. (Outrigger canoes are still very popular. Just walk along the harbor in Papeete and you will find racks holding many many canoes. Go down to the harbor at lunch time and you will see ten's of them out racing each other. On more remote islands you find them being used every day.)
In the second part of your post you imply that fishing leader would not be found down a 800 meters. If the fishing line broke while fishing above the Marianas trench, then the Trieste would have found the leader at the bottom of the trench, 36,000 feet down (about 12,000 meters.) Fishing leader wire is made of metal, it has a specific gravity greater than seawater, it SINKS.
gl