FISHING GEAR AND METHODS 51 



thus trapping the fish in an inverted umbrella-shaped enclosure. The 

 enclosed fish are then drawn to the vessel, and the fish subsequently 

 brailed or pumped aboard. 



There are essentially two techniques^ used to set and haul purse seines 

 throughout the world. The two-boat system is commonly used on the 

 East Coast of the United States in the menhaden fisheries. This system 

 utilizes two small seine boats (32 to 36 feet in length) to carry and set 

 the gear. Each seine boat carries approximately one-half the net, and the 

 boats run side by side until a school of fish is located. When the fish have 

 been located, the two seine boats begin setting their respective ends of the 

 net, running first in opposite directions and subsequently forming a large 

 circle around the school of fish. Pursing is accomplished using a small 

 winch in one of the two boats. The net is then hauled by hand from each 

 end by crews in the small boats (or power blocks mounted in the small 

 boats) until the fish are sufficiently raised and concentrated. A large 

 vessel then comes alongside and removes the fish from the net with either 

 a large brail or fish pump. 



One-boat seining is generally practiced on the Pacific Coast of the 

 United States in the salmon, herring, and tuna fisheries. Seines carried 

 on the tuna vessels may be extremely large, ranging to 600 fathoms in 

 length and 45 fathoms in depths The net is carried aboard the main 

 fishing vessel. A small auxiliary boat called a skiff is used to facihtate 

 the operation. When surrounding a school of fish, one end of the net is 

 attached to the skiff which begins towing away from the seiner as the 

 larger vessel encircles the fish. When the encircling operation has been 

 completed, the net is pursed from the large fishing vessel, hauled aboard 

 using a power block (or by strapping) until the fish are sufl^ciently con- 

 centrated, and then brailed or pumped into the hold. 



Drum seining is peculiar to the Pacific Northwest. In hauling and set- 

 ting, the operation is similar to that used in the one-boat operation 

 described above. It differs only in having a large drum onto which the 

 entire net is spooled during hauling. Most drums are hydraulically 

 powered ; however, some use mechanical shafting and gearing. 



The lampera net differs from the purse seine in lacking rings and having 

 a relatively large, simple bunt area and comparatively short wings. The 

 mesh in the wings is generally large, while that in the bunt is quite small. 

 This type of gear has been used extensively to take bait for use in the 

 California pole and line tuna fisheries. The gear is set in a circular fashion, 

 similar to that of the purse seine, and hauled by pulling both wings 

 simultaneously. 



Trawling is the most important fishing method used to harvest demersal 

 fishes such as flounder, cod, etc., which normally inhabit waters near 



