Trawling

Trawling is a fishing method in which a vessel tows a large net through the water or along the seabed to catch fish and other marine animals.

Trawl net: A large fishing net designed to be towed through water or along the seabed. Its shape and mesh guide fish into the net while it is under tow.
Bottom trawling: Trawling that drags a net along or close to the seabed. It catches species living on or near the bottom, including flatfish and prawns.
Bottom trawling impacts: The ecological effects of towing fishing gear across the seabed. Seabed-contact trawling can disturb habitats and remove organisms living on the bottom.
Longline fishing: A fishing method that uses a main line carrying many baited hooks. Unlike trawling, it catches fish with hooks rather than a towed net.
Otter board: A hydrodynamic panel that spreads a trawl net horizontally as a vessel tows it. These boards keep the net mouth open during many forms of trawling.
Pelagic trawling: Trawling through open water, away from the seabed. It is used to catch schooling species such as mackerel and herring.
Seabed disturbance: Physical disruption of the seafloor and its habitats by natural or human activity. Heavy trawl gear can resuspend sediment and damage vulnerable seabed communities.
Purse seining: A fishing method that encircles a school of fish with a net that closes underneath. It surrounds fish in place instead of towing a net through their habitat.
Beam trawling: A form of bottom trawling in which a rigid beam holds the net mouth open. The beam replaces otter boards and lets the net sweep a fixed width of seabed.
Pair trawling: Trawling in which two vessels tow the same net, one from each side. The vessels can spread a large net without using conventional trawl doors.

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