Trawl nets

There are three types of offshore trawling, Danish seine type,

Otter trawl and Pair trawl.

The Danish seine type: 1) A boat casts a buoy, rope, a net and
the other side of rope in square. 2) It picks up the buoy. 3) It
tows the net narrowing the distance of the ropes.

The otter trawl: A boat tows a net using otter boards which
stretch the net horizontally.

The pair trawl: A pair of boat tows a net in parallel. This fishing
operates at specific area.

The trawling is one of fishing method which is most prevalent and

commonly around the world.

Overview

The trawl nets are cone-shaped net (made from two, four or
more panels) which are towed, by one or two boats, on the
bottom or in midwater (pelagic). The cone-shaped body ends in a
bag or coded. The horizontal opening of the gear while it is towed
is maintained by beams, otter boards or by the distance between
the two towing vessels (pair trawling). Floats and weights and/or
hydrodynamic devices provide for the vertical opening. Two
parallel trawls might be rigged between two otter boards (twin
trawls). The mesh size in the codend or special designed devices
is used to regulate the size and species to be captured.

Accessory Equipment

According to the type of trawl net used, netsounder, trawl

monitor sensors (depth, distance, height, speed, symmetry, catch
a.o), otter boards, beam, and other specific equipment can be
employed.
Handling Equipment

Winches installed on deck control and store the warps. Auxiliary

winches, net drums and lifting tackles are equipment that assist
the handling of the trawl gear.

Vessel Overview

Trawlers range in size from smaller undecked boats, powered by

outboard engines up to large Freezer trawlers and factory
trawlers which fish in the most distant waters.

Fish Operation

Trawling is the operation of towing a net to catch fish and/or

shellfish. The trawls are towed either with bottom contact or in
midwater. Different devices providing the forces to keep the
trawls open horizontally (otter boards, beams and two vessels
and vertically (floats and weights). The catch principle is filtering
the water. The towing speed varies, according to the type of trawl
and trawling, to the target species, etc., from 1 to 7 knots, the
most common being 3 to 5.

Target Species

Bottom, demersal and pelagic species.

Water Area Overview

All over the world.

Gear Environment

Trawls are used in sea fisheries and to a lesser extent also in

freshwater where there is sufficient space for towing and a clean
environment (bottom without too many obstacles, open water
without too much floating debris).
A Danish seine, also occasionally called an anchor seine,
consists of a conical net with two long wings with a bag where the
fish collect. Drag lines extend from the wings, and are long so
they can surround an area.
A Danish seine is similar to a small trawl net, but the wire warps
are much longer and there are no otter boards. The seine boat
drags the warps and the net in a circle around the fish. The
motion of the warps herds the fish into the central net.
Danish seiner vessels are usually larger than purse seiners,
though they are often accompanied by a smaller vessel. The drag
lines are often stored on drums or coiled onto the deck by a
coiling machine. A brightly coloured buoy, anchored as a
"marker", serves as a fixed point when hauling the seine. A power
block, usually mounted on a boom or a slewing deck crane, hauls
the seine net.
Danish seining works best on demersal fish which are either
scattered on or close to the bottom of the sea, or are aggregated
(schooling). They are used when there are flat but rough seabeds
which are not trawlable. It is especially useful in northern regions,
but not much in tropical to sub-tropical areas.
The net is deployed, with one end attached to an anchored dan
(marker) buoy, by the main vessel, the seiner, or by a smaller
auxiliary boat. A drag line is paid out, followed by a net wing. As
the seiner sweeps in a big circle returning to the buoy, the
deployment continues with the seine bag and the remaining wing,
finishing with the remaining drag line. In this way a large area
can be surrounded. Next the drag lines are hauled in using rope-
coiling machines until the catch bag can be secured.
The seine netting method developed in Denmark. Scottish seining
("fly dragging") was a later modification. The original procedure is
much the same as fly dragging except for the use of an anchored
marker buoy when hauling, and closing the net and warps and
net by winch.
Irish trawl
A long-winged trawl where outriggers of wood or bamboo on
board the boat spread the wings apart.
Japanese trawl

A long winged trawl having detachable wooden or bamboo beams

attached to the main bridle a short distance from the tips of the
wings.