A Minute to Understand Fishing Nets

The document highlights that advances in fishing techniques have led to the development of increasingly durable and efficient nets designed to optimize catches while complying with legal requirements. Historically made from organic materials (wool, silk), modern nets are now primarily composed of durable synthetic materials such as polyamide, nylon, or polyethylene.

The Main Types of Nets and Fishing Methods

The choice of net depends on the target species, depth, environment, and technical methods used:

      - Gillnets: Used to catch fish by trapping them through their gills. They can be anchored to the seafloor (bottom gillnets) or set to drift.

      - Sets (encircling nets): Used to encircle schools of fish (such as sardines or tuna) by closing the net from below.

      - Tramails: Nets consisting of three layers of mesh of different sizes, designed to capture fish attempting to pass through them.

      - Trawls: Funnel-shaped nets towed by vessels. There are two main types: pelagic trawls (used in open water) and bottom trawls. The latter are particularly criticized for their destructive impact on the seafloor.

      - Passive gear (traps/pots): Used to target benthic species such as crustaceans (lobsters, crabs).

      - Longlines (pelagic or demersal): Lines equipped with a large number of hooks, criticized for their high rates of bycatch (unintentional capture of non-target species).

Environmental Issues

The article acknowledges that certain fishing methods are controversial due to their ecological consequences, including:

      - Bycatch: Accidental catches of protected or non-target species (marine mammals, turtles, seabirds).

      - Habitat destruction: Notably caused by bottom trawling.

      - Ghost nets: Nets lost at sea that continue to trap marine life.

      - Regulations: The document mentions, for example, the ban on drift nets in EU waters since 2008.

Decision-making factors for fishermen

The choice of equipment is based on a combination of factors: environmental conditions (weather, currents), type of fishing (artisanal vs. industrial), financial resources, vessel size, and local traditions.