Tooltip Tags: Gillnets

Gillnet

A fishing net that consists of single, double or triple netting walls that hang in the water column, typically made of monofilament or multifilament nylon. Mesh sizes are designed to allow fish to get only their head through the netting, but not their body. The fish’s gills then get caught in the mesh as the fish tries to back out of the net. These nets can be used either alone or, as is more usual, in large numbers placed in line (“fleets” of nets). The gear can set, anchored to the bottom, or be left drifting (driftnet), free or connected with the vessel.

Gillnet

Ghost fishing

The accidental capture of marine fauna (primarily sharks and turtles) by fishing gear (usually gillnets, or traps, pots, etc.) that has been lost or discarded into the sea and which continues to entangle animals.

Driftnet

Gillnet suspended by floats so that it fishes the top few meters of the water column.