Purse Seine

A purse seine is a surrounding net that encircles a school of pelagic fish, then closes at the bottom by hauling a purse line through rings to trap the catch before brailing it aboard. It is the dominant gear for tropical tuna, sardines, anchovies, and mackerel, with tuna seiners deploying nets over a kilometer long and 200 meters deep. Sets are made on free schools or on fish aggregating devices, the latter taking more juvenile bigeye and bycatch. The tuna RFMOs (IATTC, ICCAT, IOTC, WCPFC) regulate seine fisheries through FAD limits, seasonal closures, and dolphin-safe setting rules.