Purse Seining

purse seine

Purse seines are walls of netting used to encircle entire schools of fish such as sardines, mackerel, squid, and some tuna, at or near the surface. A drawstring cable is threaded through the bottom of the net. When the cable has pulled the netting tight, enclosing the fish in a pouch, the catch is hauled onboard with a dip net in a process called brailing.

A) A net with weights and buoys is laid out, forming a screen of net around the catch.

B) The drawstring cable at the weighted bottom of the net is cinched, or drawn in, closing the bottom.

C) The catch and the gear is drawn toward the boat.

D) Once the fish is concentrated in the purse, smaller meshed nets called brailers or fish pumps transport the fish from the seine to the boat.