Fishing nets - Active fishing gear
Principles for successful beach seine net usage
Principles of beach seine net usage
- haul – movement of the net through water is performed by people – fishermen, vehicle, boat or their combination
- net moves through the water column and catches fish
- fish are gathered in the net during the haul
- net creates a cavity during haul – “net core”, where are fish accumulated after haul ends
- redundant net is folded on boat or shore after haul is finished
- fish manipulation in the net should take place in deeper water – to protect fish from damage
- beach seine net is not used for pulling fish on the shore or boat, or other manipulation with fish
- fish are transported from the net only with handling equipment: hand net, dip net, fry dip net – according to fish size
Choosing suitable locality for haul
- gentle slope of the bank
- structures-free bottom – stones, stumps, building remainders
- bottom should be firm - not muddy
Haul technique
- haul is performed where fish are present
- haul is performed in area suitable for beach seine fishing
- fold the beach seine net before haul
- fold buoyancy line on one side
- fold lead line on the opposite side
- fold net between them – net must not be crossed - minimize noise before haul and during net casting
- preparation and net casting must be performed quickly
- net is usually cast from a boat powered by an engine, skulls or pole
- before casting, net is folded on boat to quicken casting
- nets larger than 30 m have marked thirds and net center with colored floats
- the style of haul is performed according to net length, uniformly without pause
- every stoppage during the haul leads to fish escaping
- lead line has to be pulled on the bottom during haul
- it is possible to add weight to lead line where needed
- it is necessary to keep lead line on the bottom near shore – otherwise large amounts of fish can escape
- pressing down the lead line is usually performed:
- by kneeling - fisherman kneel on the shore and pulls leading line on the bottom
- by foot – fisherman stands and pulls lead line under his foot
Pressing lead line to the bottom
Recommendations
- When hauling the beach seine net far from shore, weight down the net edges and buoyancy line support with floats for more effective hauls
- The buoyancy and lead line do not get closer during the haul – the sampled water column is larger
Hauling techniques
Net height should not be lower than depth of the sampled area
