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Net
Purse Seining
A commercial method where a vertical net wall encircles a school of fish and is then drawn shut like a purse from the bottom.
Water: Saltwater
Difficulty: Expert
📖 Overview
Purse seining is the primary method for tuna, mackerel, herring, and menhaden fisheries worldwide. A large vertical net wall - up to 2 km long and 200 m deep - encircles a school. Cables running through rings along the bottom draw the net closed, trapping fish inside. Historic bycatch of dolphins made tuna purse seining notorious in the 1980s; "dolphin-safe" tuna emerged from those campaigns.
🐟 Target Species Notes
Tuna (all species), skipjack, mackerel, herring, menhaden, sardine.
📋 Regulations
Tuna purse seining regulated by regional bodies (WCPFC, IATTC). Dolphin-safe certification. FAD (fish aggregating device) closures.