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Pelagic trawling

Fishing method, also referred to as midwater trawling, which uses a cone‑shaped net that, in contrast to bottom trawling, is hauled through the water at a higher ocean depth. Pelagic trawls are generally much larger than bottom trawls. They can be towed behind a single boat and spread by trawl doors, or towed behind two boats (pair trawling) that act as the spreading device. Midwater trawling catches pelagic and semi‑pelagic fish and it is less harmful to the seabed than bottom trawling, although it is associated with the incidental catch of non‑target species (bycatch). Midwater trawling is used in some places to catch tunas (e.g. albacore).