Different ways
to fish

There are as many different ways of fishing as there are fish in the sea! When it comes to wild fishing, we can distinguish three main groups in terms of their distance from the coast and depth: inshore fishing, deep-sea fishing and especially deep-sea fishing. The following are some of the most common methods used by the deep-sea fishing fleet:

Different ways to fish

The trawling fishing is one of the most surrounded by myths within the fishing industry. Our new campaign, ‘La huella positiva’ aims to shed light on the reality of this fishing method.

Different ways to fish

Trawling

Trawling is a fishing method that consists of towing one or more cone-shaped nets to catch the fish.
There are several types: bottom trawling (on the seabed), pelagic (towards the surface, in the water columns), or pair trawling (nets suspended between two smaller vessels).
Trawling along the seabed is normally done in sandy or muddy areas, always trying to avoid rocky or coral areas, as this could result in less selectivity in catches, lower yields and greater damage to the net itself.

Longlining

Longlining is a type of fishing that is carried out by hooks connected to branch lines of a longer horizontal line.
Longlines are usually set with bait in open water and left unattended for a set period of time. The main types of longlines are bottom longlining and surface or drift longlining.
The specifications for this method of fishing are high, as systems have been designed to reduce accidental or intentional catches of birds and other marine species such as turtles.

Different ways to fish
Different ways to fish

Purse Seine

This fishing method uses a purse seine, which is intended to surround schools or shoals of fish of the same species in order to catch them. These are long pieces of netting with weights or chains attached to the lower line and floats at the top. Although there are several types, the most common is the purse seine.

It is the most important marine fishing technique according to the FAO in terms of quantity of fish caught worldwide, as well as being the technique with the lowest pollution.
The degree of selection of this fishing technique has increased with the implementation of a code of good practice to which Spanish purse seiners have complied, which includes measures for the release of non-target species such as sharks, manta rays, sting rays and large cetaceans.