EuroTurtle - Methods of Fishing

Methods of Fishing

There are three main types of fishing technique employed by the Mediterranean fishing industries which cause the incidental capture of sea turtles. They are long-line fishing, trawl-net fishing and drift-net or gill-net fishing.

Long-line fishing: each fishing unit consists of a floating 'mother-line', 300m long, from which hang the hooked 'groundlines', each 25m long, at 20m intervals.

Units can be strung together in great chains. It is not unusual for 200 units to be strung together to reach a length of 60Km. This method of fishing is usually used to catch Swordfish and Albacore in the Mediterranean.

Trawl net fishing is where a boat drags behind it an enclosed net. The net forms a sock shaped enclosure catching any matter that enters it. The mesh of the trawl net tends to be very small as this type of fishing is primarily used for shrimping. The picture below shows the apparatus used for trawl net fishing.

Drift-net or gill-net fishing involves the use of huge net. The net is essentially an area of mesh; it is not fixed into any assembly.. The mesh of the net is just large enough to allow the heads of the fish to pass through while trapping them at their gills. The net is usually dragged behind a single boat in a loop or may be fastened to two boats on a parallel course. This type of fishing is usually used to catch Tuna, Swordfish and Albacore. Below is a diagram explaining how a drift-net is used.

Threats - fishing
Methods \| Incidental catching \| Incidental catch rates \| Mortality rates \| Shrimp fisheries \| Prevention measures \| Conclusion
Methods of Fishing There are three main types of fishing technique employed by the Mediterranean fishing industries which cause the incidental capture of sea turtles. They are long-line fishing, trawl-net fishing and drift-net or gill-net fishing. Long-line fishing: each fishing unit consists of a floating 'mother-line', 300m long, from which hang the hooked 'groundlines', each 25m long, at 20m intervals. Units can be strung together in great chains. It is not unusual for 200 units to be strung together to reach a length of 60Km. This method of fishing is usually used to catch Swordfish and Albacore in the Mediterranean. Trawl net fishing is where a boat drags behind it an enclosed net. The net forms a sock shaped enclosure catching any matter that enters it. The mesh of the trawl net tends to be very small as this type of fishing is primarily used for shrimping. The picture below shows the apparatus used for trawl net fishing. Drift-net or gill-net fishing involves the use of huge net. The net is essentially an area of mesh; it is not fixed into any assembly.. The mesh of the net is just large enough to allow the heads of the fish to pass through while trapping them at their gills. The net is usually dragged behind a single boat in a loop or may be fastened to two boats on a parallel course. This type of fishing is usually used to catch Tuna, Swordfish and Albacore. Below is a diagram explaining how a drift-net is used.
Methods \| Incidental catching \| Incidental catch rates \| Mortality rates \| Shrimp fisheries \| Prevention measures \| Conclusion