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Danish seines

Danish seines - A fishing net, similar to a small trawl net, with a conical net bag with two relatively long wings. Two long heavy ropes, one attached to each wing, are used to encircle a large area of the seabed to herd the fish into the net and then to haul the net in.

Danish seines

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A fishing net, similar to a small trawl net, with a conical net bag with two relatively long wings. Two long heavy ropes, one attached to each wing, are used to encircle a large area of the seabed to herd the fish into the net and then to haul the net in.

Target

A wide variety of benthic species (those that spend most of their lives on the seabed), especially flatfish.

How they work

A fishing net, similar to a small trawl net, with a conical net bag with two relatively long wings. Two long heavy ropes, one attached to each wing, are used to encircle a large area of the seabed to herd the fish into the net and then to haul the net in.

Advantages

Danish seines are lighter, have no heavy chains or ‘otterboards’, and are not designed to be dragged across the seabed. They can therefore have a lower impact on the seabed, a lower level of bycatch, and use less fuel than most bottom trawls.

Problems

The heavy ropes can disturb the seabed, and there is some bycatch of juvenile fish and non-commercial species.