LESSON CONCEPT OF FISHING GEAR TECHNOLOGY

2  Types of Fishing Gears

Pre-test lesson 1:
Multiple choice. Write the letter that corresponds the best answer.
1. It means, the art of catching fish and other aquatic animals.
a. Fishing
b. Culturing
c. Farming
2. Which gear is used by man to catch fish from distance by throwing sharp objects?
a. Throwing Gear
b. Wounding Gear
c. Distance Gear
3. ______ extremely long line with a large series of baited hooks.
a. Long Lines
b. Long Nylons
c. Comprehensive Lines
4. It is a type of gear that works on the principle of covering. What type of gear is it?
a. Falling Gear
b. Covering Gear
c. Trapping Gear
5. This gear is usually made of woven or knitted fibers with mesh to confine fish. What is this gear?
a. Fish Net
b. Fish Filter
c. Fish Impounding Net
6. It is the net that take fish by submerging a hanging net and swiftly lifting the gear to capture or enclose the fish.
What is this gear?
a. Fyke Nets
b. Scooping Nets
c. Hanging Nets
7. A gear uses a scare line or other devices to frighten fish toward the net. What is this gear?
a. Drive-under Gear
b. Drive-on Gear
c. Drive-in Gear
8. The process of fish capture is done by surrounding a certain area of water with school of fish and towing the
gear over this area with both ends to a fixed point on the shore or on a vessel. In what kind of gear belongs to
this?
a. Gill Nets
b. Surrounding Nets
c. Seine Nets
9. It is a simple walled curtain-like nets which are set vertically in water. What is this gear?
a. Surrounding Nets
b. Gill Nets
c. Seine Nets
10. What is the local name for Scylla serrata?
a. Alimango
b. Alimasag
c. Sugpo

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LESSON CONCEPT OF FISHING GEAR TECHNOLOGY
2  Types of Fishing Gears

INTRODUCTION
The importance of fishing gear, crafts, fishing equipment when you go
fishing is impeccable. No matter how good you fish or how good if a fisherman
you might be, you will need fishing gear. Especially fishing carrier. They are
extremely crucial. Technology has also played a very important part as well. The
use of crafts and gears in fishing technology plays very important role and help
to enhance the production commercial basis. The success of fishing largely
depends on to how and which types of nets are used to capture the fish.

All types of fishing gear, regardless of how it might be used, are designed
to lure and capture fish. Fishing gears are defined as tools used to capture
marine/aquatic resources, whereas how the gear is used is the fishing method.
Additionally, a single type of gear may also be used in multiple ways. Different
target species require different fishing gear to effectively catch the target
species. Fishing gears fall under two general categories, active gear and passive
gear. Active gears are designed to chase and capture target species, while
passive gears generally sit in one place allowing the target species to approach
the capture device.

In a tropical country such as the Philippines, there exists a wide variety of

aquatic ecosystems such as lotic and lentic environments, estuaries and
wetlands, seagrass beds, mangrove forests, coral reefs, beach and tidal areas,
pelagic, benthic, and oceanic environments. Each ecosystem is a unique habitat
with distinct biophysical processes present in each area. Obviously, fishing gears
and methods used in a particular ecosystem are quite different from those being
used in another habitat. Because of the great variety of fishery resources that
are being exploited in different types of habitat, we hope to document fishing
activities according to the type of tropical aquatic ecosystem.

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THE IDEAL FISHING GEAR

Some criteria for the ideal fishing gear could be:
 highly selective for the target species and sizes, with negligible direct or indirect impact on nontarget species,
sizes and habitats;
 effective, giving high catches of target species at lowest possible cost;
 quality orientated, producing catches of high quality.
According to these and additional criteria that could be added to the list, it can easily be stated that the ideal
fishing gear does not exist, as no fishing gear fulfils the complete list of desired criteria and properties. However, in the
process of moving towards sustainable fisheries management, different fishing gears with their specific properties and
potential for improvement are an important compartment in the “fisheries manager’s toolbox”. A basic understanding
of the properties, function and operation of the major fishing gears and methods is therefore fundamental for decision
making in fisheries management, particularly when it comes to technical measures in fisheries regulations.

CHOICE OF FISHING GEAR

Choice of fishing gear primarily depends on biological, behavioral and distribution characteristics of the target
species and fishing environment. There is no universal fishing gear suitable for all fishing conditions and resources.
Fishing gear has to be selected or designed based on the presence of maximum number of attributes suitable for the
particular fishing condition and resource and trade-offs may be necessary.

CLASSIFICATION OF FISHING GEAR

Various methods to catch fish and other aquatic resources, with or without a gear, have always been practiced
in the world at large. A fishing gear is the tool with which aquatic resources are captured, whereas the fishing method is
how the gear is used as mentioned earlier. Gear also includes harvesting organisms when no particular gear (tool) or
boat is involved.
Furthermore, the same fishing gear can be used in different ways by different fishers. A common way to classify
fishing gears and methods is based on the principles of how the fishes or other preys are captured and, to a lesser
extent, on the gear construction or gear materials used (Nedelec and Prado, 1990). There are many different types of
fishing gear. Some gear has been adapted to certain species on the basis of the species’ special characteristics such as
their behaviour, their feeding and spawning migration patterns. Changes in fishery activities throughout the year are
due to biological and climatic conditions. Active fishing methods have been employed ever since the Stone Age and
have developed over the ages to give us the wide variety of fishing gear we have today.
Classification of Fishing Gear
Table 1: International Standard Statistical Classification of Fishing Gear (ISSCG)
Gears categories Abbreviation ISSCG Code
SURROUNDING NETS 01.0.0
With purse lines (purse seiners) PS 01.1.0
o One boat operated purse seines PS1 01.1.1
o Two boats operated purse seines PS2 01.1.2
Without purse lines LA 01.2.0
SEINE NETS 02.0.0
Beach seines BS 02.1.0
Boat seines SV 02.2.0
o Danish seines SDN 02.2.1
o Scottish seines SSC 02.2.2
o Pair seines SPR 02.2.3
Seine nets (not specified) SX 02.9.0
TRAWLS 03.0.0
Bottom trawls 03.1.0
o Beam trawls TBB 03.1.1
o Otter trawls OTB 03.1.2
o Pair trawls PTB 03.1.3

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o Nephrops trawl TBN 03.1.4

o Shrimp trawl TBS 03.1.5
o Bottom trawls (not specified) TB 03.1.9
Midwater trawls 03.2.0
o Otter trawls OTM 03.2.1
o Pair trawls PTM 03.2.2
o Shrimp trawls (not specified) TMX 03.2.9
Otter twin trawls OTT 03.3.0
 Trawls (not specified) OT 03.4.0
Pair trawls (not specified) PT 03.5.0
Other trawls (not specified) TX 03.9.0
DREDGES 04.0.0
Boat dredges DRB 04.1.0
Hand dredges DRH 04.2.0
LIFT NETS 05.0.0
Portable lift nets LNP 05.1.0
Boat-operated lift nets LNB 05.2.0
Shore-operated stationery lift nets LNS 05.3.0
Lift nets (not specified) LN 05.4.0
FALLING GEAR 06.0.0
Cast nets FCN 06.1.0
Falling gear (not specified) FG 06.9.0
GILLNETS AND ENTANGLING NETS 07.0.0
Set gillnets(anchored) GNS 07.1.0
Drift nets GND 07.2.0
Encircling gillnets GNC 07.3.0
Fixed gillnets(on stakes) GNF 07.4.0
Trammel nets GTR 07.5.0
Combined gillnets-trammel nets GTN 07.6.0
Gillnets and entangling nets (not specified) GEN 07.9.0
Gillnets (not specified) GN 07.9.1
TRAPS 08.0.0
Stationary uncovered pound nets FPN 08.1.0
Pots FPO 08.2.0
Fyke nets FYK 08.3.0
Stow nets FSN 08.4.0
Barriers, fences, weirs, etc FWR 08.5.0
Aerial traps FAR 08.6.0
Traps (not specified) FIX 08.9.0
HOOK AND LINES 09.0.0
Handlines and pole-lines (hand operated) LHP 09.1.0
Handlines and pole-lines (mechanized) LHM 09.2.0
Set longlines LLS 09.3.0
Drifting longlines LLD 09.4.0
Longlines (not specified) LL 09.5.0
Trolling lines LTL 09.6.0
Trolling lines (not specified) LX 09.9.0
GRAPPLING AND WOUNDING GEAR 10.0.0
Harpoons HAR 10.1.0
HARVESTING MACHINES 11.0.0
Pumps HMP 11.1.0
Mechanized dredges HMD 11.2.0
Harvesting machines (not specified) HMX 11.9.0
MISCELLANEOUS GEAR MIS 20.0.0
RECREATIONAL FISHING GEAR RG 25.0.0
GEAR NOT KNOWN OR NOT SPECIFIED NK 99.0.0

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Surrounding nets
Surrounding nets are roughly rectangular walls of netting rigged with floats and sinkers which after detection of
the presence of fish are cast to encircle the fish school. Surrounding nets are generally operated in the surface layers.

Figure 1: Purse seine Figure 2: Lampara net

Seine nets
Seine net is a long wall of netting with or without a bag, supported by floats and sinkers, which are operated by
surrounding areas of water with potential catch. The net is operated by ropes attached to the end of wings which are
used for hauling and for herding the fish. They are usually operated in the coastal or shallow waters where bottom
and/or surface act as natural barriers. Seines which are operated from the boat are called boat seines. Danish seine is a
well-known boat seine (Fig. 3). Danish seine operated on the bottom from a single boat, consists of a bag and wings
attached to long ropes set in water so as to cover a large area in order to herd the fishes therein into the net mouth.
Seines operated from the shore are called shore seine or beach seine (Fig. 4). An example is Rampani net operated in
south-west India.

Figure 4: Beach seine

Figure 3: Danish seine
Trawls
Trawl nets are conical bag nets with two wings and a cod end where catch is concentrated, operated by towing
from one or two boats. Based on the position in water column where they are operated, trawls are classified into
bottom trawl and midwater or pelagic trawl. Based on the opening of the mouth they are grouped into beam trawl
where mouth is kept open by means of a rigid wooden or steel beam (Fig. 5); otter trawls where otter boards are used
for horizontal spread of trawl mouth (Fig. 6). Depending on the number of boats used there are one-boat trawl (Fig. 6;
8) and two-boat trawl or pair trawl or bull trawl (Fig. 7; 9). Based on the number of trawls operated from a single vessel,
there are double rig trawl system where two nets are operated from outrigger booms (Fig. 10); triple trawl system
where three nets are operated at the same time (Fig. 11) and quad rig system where two nets each are operated from
two out rigger booms (Fig. 12).

Figure 1: One-boat bottom Figure 7: Two-boat bottom otter

Figure 2: Beam trawl otter trawl trawl Figure 8: One-boat midwater
trawl

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Figure 9: Two-boat midwater Figure 10: Double rig trawl Figure 11: Triple rig trawl Figure 12: Quad rig trawl
trawl

Dredges
Dredges are dragged gear, with an oblong iron frame
with an attached bag net, operated on the bottom
usually for collecting shellfish. They are either
operated from boat or in shallow waters by hand (Fig. 13).
Figure 13: Dredged
Hooks and Lines (actively operated)
Fish are enticed by edible or artificial bait or lure which simulates the
appearance and movement of the natural prey, and are finally held by the hook concealed in the bait or lure. The hook
is connected to a line or snood. The fish is also held by the piercing action of hooks or jigs passing nearby. Important
types of hooks and lines which are actively operated are pole and line (Fig. 14) which are either worked manually or
mechanically; jig lines which are operated either manually or by powered jigging machines for squids attracted by light
(Fig. 16) and troll lines operated for predatory fishes with hooks having natural or artificial baits, trailing behind the
running vessel usually in the surface layers (Fig. 15).

Figure 14: Pole and line

Figure 15: Troll line

Figure 16: Squid jigging

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Hooks and Lines (passively operated)

Fish are enticed by edible bait or lure and are finally held by the hook concealed in the bait or lure. The hook is
connected to a line or snood. They are operated either singly or in large numbers. Important types of hooks and lines
which are passively operated are hand lines operated in the small-scale sector and long lines where a large number of
hooks are attached to the mainline by means of branch lines.
Long lines when set in surface and midwater with freedom to drift with the current are called drifting long lines
(Fig. 17); when set close to the bottom are called bottom-set long lines (Fig. 18); when set vertically, they are called
vertical long lines (Fig. 19); when combining the properties of bottom and vertical long lines they are called bottom
vertical long lines (Fig. 20).

Figure 18: Set long line

Figure 17: Drift long line

Figure 20: Bottom vertical long line

Figure 19: Vertical long line

Lift nets
Lift net consists of horizontal netting panel or a cone-shaped bag with the mouth facing upwards, which are
submerged and lifted either manually or mechanically to filter the fish in the overlying water column. There are shore
operated lift nets which are operated from stationary installations along the shore (Fig. 21) and boat-operated lift nets
which are operated from one or several boats (Fig. 22).

Figure 21: Shore-operated lift net Figure 22: Boat-operated lift net

Falling gear
Falling gear is cast over the area where fish is available,
then gathered and lifted to collect the fish.
Many of the artisanal fishing gears such as cast
net, cover pot and lantern net belong to this category (Fig. 23).

Figure 23: Cast net

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Gill nets and entangling nets

Gill nets are rectangular walls of netting kept erect by means of floats and sinkers and positioned in the
swimming layer of the target fish, which catch the fish by holding them in the mesh by gilling.
Depending on method of operation gill nets are classified into drift gill nets, set gill nets and encircling gill nets.
Drift gill nets are operated in the surface layers and drift with the current either separately or with the boat to which it
is tethered (Fig. 24). Set gill nets or anchored gill nets are fixed to the bottom or at a distance above bottom by means of
anchors or ballast (Fig. 25). Fixed gill nets operated in the shallow coastal waters are fixed by means of stakes and the
catch is collected during low tide. Encircling gill nets are operated in the surface layers in coastal areas. After encircling
the fish, noise and other vibrations are used to drive the fish towards the net so that they are either gilled or entangled.

Figure 24: Drift gill net

Figure 25: Bottom set gill net

Based on the structure, there are simple gill nets with a single wall of netting supported by floats and sinkers
and triple-walled nets called trammel net (Fig. 26). The trammel net generally operated as bottom-set, has two outer
walls which are of larger mesh size and a loosely
inner wall is of smaller mesh size. The inner wall
intercepting a fish approaching through the large
mesh on the outer wall, forms a pouch after passing
through large mesh on the outer wall on the
opposite side and hold the fish securely. In the
combined gill net-trammel net lower part fabricated as
trammel and the upper part as simple gill net.
Entangling nets loosely hung single or multi-
walled netting held vertically in water by floats and
sinkers, which catch fish entangling rather than
enmeshing. Nets are usually attached end to end to
form large fleets. Figure 26: Trammel net

Traps
Traps are passive fishing gears with enclosures to which the fish are lured or guided and from which escape is
made difficult by means of labyrinths or retarding devices like funnels or constrictions. A wide range of traditional
fishing gears is grouped here.
Pots are cages or baskets made from materials like wood, wicker, metal rods, wire netting and reinforced
plastic, designed to catch fish, crustaceans or cephalopods by enticing them with baits or shelter spaces (Fig. 27). They
are provided with one or more entrances of appropriate gape. They are usually set on the bottom singly or in series
connected by ropes and position marked by buoys.
Stationary uncovered pound net called set nets in Japan, are large nets, anchored or fixed on stakes. A leader
net is kept at an appropriate angle to the swimming direction of migrating fish schools so as to guide them to enclosures
with retarding devices and closed at the bottom by netting
(Fig. 28).

Figure 27: Lobster pot Figure 28: Set net

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Fyke nets used in shallow waters consists of a cone-shaped bag of netting with ring shaped rigid structures to
maintain cylindrical shape of the net body and is provided with wings to lead the fishes into the bag. The fyke nets are
fixed to the bottom by stakes or ballast and are operated separately or in series. Stow net are conical bag net operated
in shallow waters and estuaries where tidal currents are strong. The mouth of the net is kept open against the current
by means of stakes driven to the bottom or by means of floats and ballast (Fig. 29).
Barriers, fences, weirs and corrals are trapping enclosures made of indigenous materials and operated in tidal
waters (Fig. 30).
Aerial traps are systems in which fish like mullets, which jump out of water on disturbance and flying fishes,
attracted by light are caught in floating enclosures or rafts. Verandah net and boat operated aerial traps are examples in
this category (Fig. 31).

Figure 29: Stow net Figure 30: Corral Figure 31: Aerial traps
Miscellaneous fishing gears
 Fishing without gear
Gathering of animals by hand picking or by simple implements such as shovels, picks or knives, with or
without the support of diving equipment; and fishing by using trained animals or birds such as cormorants are
included in this category.
 Stupefying methods
Stupefying methods include the use of poison or under water explosives to paralyze the fish. These
methods are prohibited in responsible fisheries.
 Grappling and wounding gear
Sharp implements such as clamps, tongs, lances, bow and arrow, harpoons and rifles are used for
catching fish by wounding, grappling and killing.
 Electrical fishing
Effect of pulsating electric field on fishes such as first reaction, electrotaxis (anodic attraction), electro-
narcosis and electrocution are utilized in electrical fishing equipment. Effect of electric field is also made use of
in other fishing systems such as trawls and hook and line to enhance fishing efficiency.
 Harvesting machines
Sophisticated, modern systems like fish pumps which are used to mechanically transfer fish attracted
and concentrated by light in the proximity of the vessel; mechanical dredges which make use of hydraulic jets
and conveyors or suction equipment for harvesting molluscs; and fully automatic long line systems in which
every step in the shooting and hauling operation including baiting and removal catch are automated, could be
included in this category.
REFERENCES

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
282284222_Basic_principles_of_fishing_gear_design_and_classification

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POST-TEST

Instruction: Answer the following question bellow.

1. What is gear selectivity and its importance in fishing?

2. Why is there a need to get acquainted with the different fishing gear used? And How are
these fishing gear classified?
3. What is your ideal fishing gear?
4. What are the principal mechanisms of fish capture?
5. Do you think the kind of gear and the method of operation have a role in a successful
fishing operation? Why?

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