Fishing Gears and Methods

History

Fishing does not only refer to the taking of fish from the aquatic environment. It also relates
to the capture of other aquatic organisms such as crustaceans (crabs, shrimps, prawn, and
lobsters), mollusks (sea shells, cephalopods), coelenterates (cnidarians, composed of corals and sea
anemones), birds, and mammals.

Fishing methods refers to the techniques implored on fishing. Fishing gears are the
implements used in taking the aforementioned aquatic organisms. Fishing gears and methods is a
recent science where, scientific theories were applied to basically enhance efficiency in fishing.

Fishing is one of the oldest employments of humankind. Ancient heaps of discarded shells
found in the coastal areas throughout the world including China, Japan, Peru, Brazil, Portugal and
Denmark indicate that marine mollusks were the early food of humans – gathered thru bare hands
and hand instrument. Archaeological evidence shows that humans next learned to catch fishes in
traps and nets – at first, limited to lakes and rivers.

The development in navigation and fishing vessels including fishing implements lead humans
to venture into sheltered coastal areas, river mouths, and further off shore. Later, seaweeds and
other aquatic plans were incorporated in their diet.

Fishing further developed throughout history employing improved and larger ships, more
sophisticated fishing equipments (mechanized) and various food preservation methods.

Presently, fishing is now carried in all types of waters, in all parts of the world except where
impeded by depth or dangerous currents or prohibited by law, taking both plants and animals of
economic importance.

Fishing in the Philippines

The earlier settlers on the Philippines from the different parts of Southeast Asia were living in
the coastal regions and near rivers and lakes. They already know the art of fishing then thru diving
and gathering or by the use of some instruments and tools which includes spears and arrow, gaffs
and snares.

It is our Malayan ancestors brought to us the art of making fish corrals and fish pots built
from local materials some of them still being used today. Later, Chinese traders introduced the
fishing nets like gill nets, cast nets, lever nets, and push nets and also handlines and longlines,
which is still very popular until the present times.

Late in the Spanish colonization that the Europeans have introduced the use of European
gears such as beach seine and round haul seine and was later improved during the American
occupation. Otter trawls were also introduced by the Europeans which gained popularity because of
its efficiency in catching demersal species of fish. The Japanese introduced beam trawls, tuna long
line, tuna pole line, ring net and stop seines as early as 1900s. They also introduce set nets like the
Otoshi ami, and the Muro ami method of fishing.

Purse seines were introduced recently, around 1950s. Apparently, because of Filipino
ingenuity, improvements and modifications on the different gears introduced were developed to suit
the local conditions of the different fishing grounds.

But even with the refinement of modern science and technology, fish capture remains a crude
way of obtaining food. Some present day methods remained unchanged for many centuries.

Advent of Modern Fishing

The rapid advances of modern fishing are brought by three major developments, which
include the following:

1. Modern diesel engine

2. Synthetic fibers
3. The Invention of the Power Block

The Fibers Used in Fisheries

 Natural Polymers
Cellulose Base Protein Base
Regenerated Cellulose Vegetable Base Animal Base
Cellulose Derivatives

Viscose Acetate Alginate Lanital

Cupronium TriAcetate Vicara Fibrolan
Ardil Casenka
Silkool Caslen
Azlon Merinova
Wipolan

Synthetic Polymers
Polycondensed Combination Polymerics Polyadditives
Polyeste
r Polyamide Mixed Polyvinyl Polyvinyl Polyacryl Poly Poly
Polymerics alcohol Chloride nitrile ethylene urethane

Terylene Nylon Dynel Vinylon PCU Orlon Polythene Perlon U

Dacron Perlon Saran Kuralon PeCe Acrilan Courlene Fibre 32
Terital Grilon Vinyon Kannebian Rhovyl PAN Reevon
Tergal Kapron Harlon Cremona Thermovyl Dralon Wynene
Terlenka Enkalon Verel Mewlon Vinyon-HH Redon Teflon
Trevira Amilan Synthofil PeCe-U Courtelle
Diolen Lilion Woolon Crylor
Lanon Caprolan Dolan
Delfion Prelana
Steelon Wolcrylon
Niplon
Rilsan
Silon

MAJOR CLASSIFICATION OF SYNTHETIC FIBRES IN FISHERIES

1. POLYAMIDE
a. Nylon
b. Perlon
c. Rilsan
2. POLYESTER
a. Terylene (bottom trawl fishery, lamapara nets, lines, lobster pots) Other uses include
hauls for lifeboats, hatch covers, sails, and tarpaulins.
3. POLYVINYL CHLORIDE
a. Teviron (purse seines)
4. POLYVINYLIDINE CHLORIDE
5. POLYETHYLENE
6. POLYVINYL ALCOHOL
7. POLYPROPYLELENE
8. OTHERS - Polyurethane, a polyadditive compound is mentioned by some authors as being
used in producing fibres. There are also twines made from combination of synthetic
compounds, sometimes called as mixed polymerics, and are mainly produced for fishing nets
in Japan, this include Livlon, Marlon, Marumoron, Polex, Dynel, Saran, Vinyon, Harlon, and
Verel.

FISHING EFFICIENCY RELATIVE TO SYNTHETIC FIBERS

 Observations have proved the improvement of efficiency on gillnets. Nylon and perlon gillnets
catch two to seven times number of fish per net per day compares to cotton and hemp (Mugaas,
1959). Catch on cod increased by 4.4 times compared to cotton, coalfish 1.4-2.3 times and mackerel
1.2 -1.3 times (Saetersdal, 1959). Molin (1959) also reported that nylon is superior to cotton, flax,
and hemp as much as four times fishing capacity with continuous monofilament and not less than
seven times with monofilament. The ratio of catches made with cotton, continuous-multi filament
and monofilament is 1:2:14.
For set gillnets floating gillnets, trammel nets, and fine herring nets invisibility is important.
Strong types of fibres such as polyamide and polyethylene catches more fish than natural fibres such
as cotton. The best is undoubtedly the monofilament polyamide. Polyester catching ability and
durability seemed to be similar to those of nets made from polyamide fibres. Polyester fibre nets of
terylene are used for catching cod and coal fish.
High catching ability of nylon can be attributed to low absorption, relatively high elasticity,
and high breaking strength. The catching ability of the nets increases with reduced twine diameter
(Molin, 1959). However polyamide staple fibres must be avoided in herring and salmon drift nets
because this can damage the catch. Twines of polyamide and polyvinyl alcohol are highly
recommended. Polyethylene is particularly appropriate for herring drift net.
Improvement in set nets are the use of Saran, kuralon, and terylene since it is less sensitive
to effects of sunlight. Kuralon cod traps can be used three to six months compare to seven weeks for
cotton and hem. Increase in catches has also been observed in trapnets using Polyvinyl chloride
(PCU, Rhovyl, and Teviron). Polyamide is good for fyke nets but should not be implored in its
leaders.
In purse seines, breaking strength must be considered. It is suggested to use PeCe, polyvinyl
chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyamide. Efficiency in the gear has been attributed to these
materials. It also accepted the use of Marlon made from Nylon/Vinylon as replacement to cotton
netting. Dacron is a polyethylene fibre strengthened the hanging and purse lines.
Perlon and nylon is recommended for trawl. For trawls, it is 8 to 10 times more efficient and
useful than manila trawls. The use of this fibres increased usability of purse seines from 400-500
fishing days with cotton twines to 1300 fishing days with perlon without becoming unusable. It also
reduces total weight of fishing equipment and no need for extra expenditures for preservatives, less
handling cost, and less number of gears for alternate use.
Amilan is used to increase efficiency for trammel, purse seines, and dragnets. It increased
towing speed for dragnets due to strength, lightness, small moisture absorption and durability.
Menhaden seine, lobster and shrimp gear, tuna seining and tuna longlining is also improving due to
the substitution of polyamide.

Fishing Technology

Fishing Technology, as a scientific discipline, was founded and developed in the 20th Century
mostly by Russians and Japanese scientists. Most of their worked focused most especially with
interactions of fish, fishing gear, and the fishing vessel. Fishing methods and gears were objectively
studied and compared to permit technological improvements and innovations.

Modern commercial techniques were developed in concurrence with seamanship and

navigation. Modern commercial fishery is characterized by growth of active fishing methods. Modern
features include improvement of gear shape, introduction of synthetic materials and increasing size
of fishing gears and fishing vessels. Other technological advancement such as communication and
weather forecasting, fish finding devices and instruments contribute to the advancement of fishing
techniques.

FISH CAPTURE

Fish capture is realized by five major principles.

1. entangling (enmeshing)
2. trapping
3. filtering
4. hooking and spearing
5. by pumping

DEFINITON OF TERMS
 1. Fisheries – refers to all activities relating to the act or business of fishing, culturing,
preserving, processing, marketing, developing, conserving and managing fish and other
aquatic resources and the fishery areas including the privilege to fish or take aquatic
resources thereof.

2. Fishing – taking of fish species from the wild state or habitat, with or without the use of
fishing vessel, with or without the use of implements

3. Fishing gear – refers to the any instrument or device and its accessories utilized in taking fish
and other fishery resources. It is the implement used in fishing.

4. Active Fishing Gear – is a fishing device characterized by gear movement, and or the pursuit
of the target species by towing, lifting, and pushing the gears, surrounding, covering,
dredging, pumping and scaring the target species to impoundments; such as, but not limited
to trawl, purse seines, danish seines, bag nets, drift gill net and tuna long line.

5. Passive Fishing Gear – is characterized by the absence of gear movements and or the pursuit
of the target species; such as but not limited to hook and line, fish pots, traps, and gill nets
across the path of the fish.

6. Fishing Vessel- any boat, ship or other water craft equipped to be used for taking of fishery
species or aiding or assisting one or more vessels in the performance of any activity relating
to fishing, including, but not limited to preservation, supply, storage, refrigeration,
transportation, and or processing.

7. Fishing with Explosives – the use of dynamite, other explosives or other chemical compounds
that contain combustible elements or ingredients which upon ignition by friction, concussion,
percussion or detonation of all parts of the compound will kill, stupefy, disable, or render
unconscious any fishery species. It also refers to the use of any substance or device which
causes an explosion that is capable of producing the said harmful effects on any fishery
species and aquatic resources and capable of damaging and altering the natural habitat.

8. Fishing with Noxious or Poisonous Substances – the use any substance, plant extracts or
juice thereof, sodium cyanide and/or cyanide compounds or other chemical either in a raw or
processed form. Harmful or harmless to human beings, which will kill stupefy, disable or
render unconscious any fishery species and aquatic resources and capable of damaging and
altering the natural habitat.

CLASSIFICATION OF FISHING GEAR

There are a lot of classifications of gears presented. In this case, classifications used in the
Philippines are considered.

1. International Standard Statistical Classification

2. International Classification of Fishing Gears
3. Classification given by von Brandt and Umali
4. Classification according to Umali

CLASSIFICATION OF FISHING GEAR BY ISSC

This classification of gear is given by the International Standard Statistical Classification,

accepted by FAO. It is define by the structure of the fishing gear and the method of operation. These
gears are described fully by von Brandt (1984) and FAO (1975, 1978).

1. SURROUNDING NETS – fish are surrounded not only from the side but also from below,
allowing them to be caught over very deep waters.
Ex. Purse seines and ring nets

2. SEINE NETS – an area of water is surrounded by the net and by lines. It can be set from the
beach, installations, crafts and even rafts. These are usually operated in coastal and shallow
waters.
Ex. Beach seines, Danish Seines, Scottish Seines
3. TRAWL NETS – operated by dragging or towing the flexible net through the water by fishing
craft. It can be further subdivided in terms of depth of operation (surface, midwater,
bottom).
Ex. Otter Trawl, Baby Trawl, Midwater Trawl

4. DREDGES – these are rigid structures, dredged over the sea bed to separate mollusks,
crustaceans from water mud sand and the like.
Ex. Hand dredges and Boat Dredges.

5. LIFT NETS – raised during hauling or hauled upward from a submerged horizontal position to
catch fish lying above the net by straining water. This class includes scoop nets, lift nets,
hoop nets, blanket nets and others which use levers.
Ex. Basnig

6. FALLING GEAR – effects capture by covering the fish, pursing the opening and straining the
water. The gear is usually operated in the shallow water.
Ex. Hand cast nets, cover pots, covering baskets, short cast nets, and lantern nets

7. GILL NETS AND OTHER ENTANGLING GEARS – effects capture by gilling, entangling or
enmeshing by a single netting (gill net) or by triple netting (trammel net). Mesh size of a
single netting might vary and commercial types might have a length of up to 40 kilometers.
Ex. Drift nets, encircling drive in nets and driven in the center by noise and other means

8. TRAPS – passive gears, the fish are guided into collecting chambers from which escape is
discouraged by labyrinths and retarding devices such as constrictions and funnels.
Ex. Set nets introduced by Japan (otoshi ami), fyke nets, baklad

9. HOOKS AND LINES – fish are enticed by edible or artificial baits or lures to become caught by
a hook or spike and held by a line. The fish may also simply snag on a hook passing near by.
The hooks may be secured to the line single or multiple in large numbers.
Ex. Handlines, pole and lines, jig lines, set long lines, drift long lines and troll lines

10. GRAPPLING and WOUNDING GEAR – used to immobilize and retain the fish by wounding,
killing or grappling.
Ex. Harpoons, spears, clamps, tongs, rakes, bow and arrow

11. HARVESTING MACHINES – relatively new and are used to transfer fish mechanically from the
water.
Ex. Use of pumps, hydraulic jets or conveyor belts

12. ALL OTHER FISH CAPTURE GEAR – including hand and landing nets, gathering with hand,
with stupefying materials, explosives, and electricity

International Classification of Fishing Gears

This classification is based on the fishing gear and the manner it is being used.

A. Hand Tools
1. Fishing without gears
2. Grappling and wounding gear
3. Stunning

B. Lines
1. Line fishing

C. Traps
1. Trapping
2. Trapping in the air

D. Nets
1. Fishing with bag nets
2. Dredging and trawling
3. Seining
4. Fishing with surrounding nets
5. Driving fish into nets
6. Fishing with lift nets
 7. Fishing with falling gear
8. Gill netting
9. Fishing with entangling nets

E. Harvesting with Machines

1. Pumping machines

Classification of Fishing Gears

(Umali and von Brandt)

I. Fishing without Gears

1. Hand picking
2. Diving
II. Stupefying Methods
1. Mechanical stupefying
2. Fish poisoning
3. Electrical fishing
III. Fishing Using Miscellaneous Hand or Grappling Instruments
1. Shovels – pala
2. Tongs – sipit
3. Gaffs – gantso
4. Hoes – panghukay
5. Picks – patik, piko
6. Scrappers – pangayod
7. Spades – pangdukal
8. Grabs – pandukut
9. Rakes – kalaykay
10. Tweezers – pambunot
11. Dredges – pangahig
12. Scoops – panalok
13. Pokers – pansundot
14. Clamps – pang- ipit
15. Snares – panilo
IV. Wounding Gears
1. Spears, lances and arrows – pana, sibat, satapang, tiksal
2. Harpoons – panibat, pamaril
3. Rifles – baril
V. Barriers and Traps (made of Textile)
1. Barricades – hibasan, pamulinaw, saplad
2. Fish Shelters – bombon, lungga, luong
3. Fish Corral – baklad, abang, aguila, ankla
4. Fish Pots – bangon, bikatot, bubo
VI. Fishing with Lines
1. Handlines
a. simple handline or drop line
b. multiple hook and line
c. jigger
d. pole and line gear
e. troll lines
2. Long lines
a. set – long lines
b. drift long lines
VII. Falling Gear
1. Cover Pots – salakab
2. Cover Net – panaklob
3. Cast Net – dala
VIII. Fixed Impounding Nets
1. Filter Nets – diyakos, lunpot, sala, saplad, takib, tangab
2. Hoop Nets – bukatot na lambat
3. Fyke Nets – dayakus
4. Pound Nets – baklad na lambat or lambaklad
IX. Scooping Nets
1. Dip Nets – salap, salok, sibot, sigpaw, tipaw, sima
2. Crab Lift Nets – bintol
3. Lift Nets – salambaw
4. Lever Nets – salambaw
 5. Blanket Nets – padayan
6. Bag Nets – basnig
7. New Look
8. 2-boat or 4-boat lift net
9. Push nets – kapet, panudson, sakag, sakwat
10. Skimming Nets – sudsod
X. Drive in Gear
1. Drive in Nets – kalaskas, kayakas, katigbi, kaokotik, daplis
2. Muro ami
XI. Dredged gear
1. Dredges – kaladkad
2. Trawls
a. Danish
b. Irish
c. Japanese
d. Beam
e. Spanish
f. Otter
g. V-D
XII. Seine Nets
1. Beach Seine – barimbaw, sinsoro, bayakos
2. Lampara – sahid, sinchoro
3. Fish corral seine – segin
4. Reef Seine – ligkop
XIII. Surrounding Nets
1. Round haul seine – sapyaw
2. Purse seine – pangulong
3. Ring Net – kubkub, likum-likum, kabiyaw
4. Half Ring Net – pukot, talakop
5. Scoop Nets – guyod
6. Stop Seine – pangulong
XIV. Gill Nets
1. Set Gill Nets
2. Drift Gill Nets
3. Encircling Gill Nets
4. Trammel Nets
XV. Traps for Jumping or Flying Fishes – paniriw

CLASSIFICATION OF FISHING GEARS IN THE PHILIPPINES

(Umali)

A. According to Materials Used

1. Non Textile
2. textile

B. Construction

1. lines
2. nets

C. Mode of Operation

1. Hand Instruments
2. Barriers and Traps
3. handlines
4. long lines
5. impounding nets
6. entangling nets

DESCRIPTION OF ALL POSSIBLE FISHING GEARS FOUND IN THE PHILIPPINES

(Umali)
A. HAND INSTRUMENTS

1. Snares – a running noose at the end of a pole or shaft

2. Miscellaneous – picks, spade, tongs, grabs
3. Spears
4. Harpoons –with pointed barbed blades discharge by a gun or by hand
5. rakes and dredges – non textile webs or splints which effects capture by raking the bottom of
rivers and lakes
6. Scoops – lifting instrument made of non textile webs
7. Cover pots – with opening in one end to cover the fish.

B. BARRIERS AND TRAPS

1. Barricades – complete barriers principally made of various non-textile materials which

prevents the escape of fish from certain natural which they voluntary entered after having
been intercepted in their natural course of migration. Movement in their search of food,
hiding places or breeding area.
2. Fish corrals – guiding barriers constructed of bamboo, brush, chicken wire which are set in
tidal waters or along natural path of migration.
3. Fish Pots – usually baited made of bamboo, rattan, chicken wire in the form of receptacles
which prevents the escape of fish.
4. Miscellaneous set traps – crab pots etc
5. Fish Shelters –anchored bunches of twigs, bushes, weeds, piles of poles, etc, which afford
refuge for fish.

C. LINES

1. Handlines – basically composed of a line and hooks

a. Simple hand lines or drop lines – single vertical line carrying either one or two hooks
b. Multiple hand lines – a single vertical line consist of several numbers of hooks
c. Jigger – lines each bearing a multiple hooked device which is worked by jerking up
and down under a bright light.
d. Pole and line – it is a simple handline attached to a lope
e. Troll lines – long handlines which is usually baited with artificial baits. Operation
involves towing of the lines.
2. Longlines – extremely long lines with series of large hooks, it is either set or drifting
a. set long lines – anchored in either one or both ends or it cal also be attached to the
bottom. It can be set in the surface, obliquely or submerged.
b. Drift long lines – long lines without fixed attachments.

D. NETS

1. Impounding Nets –capture is effected by confining fish

a. Set-impounding
1. filter nets – conical fixed, bag nets with non-return valves and capture is effected by
straining water as it is set in flowing water such as river or areas of high tidal
fluctuation
2. hoop nets funnel –like nets with non return valves and does not have wings
3. fyke nets – a series of funnel like entrances with wings
4. trap nets – supported by stakes

b. Mobile Impounding
1. lift nets – capture is effected by vertical lifting motion
a. dip nets - operated by hand
b. push nets – triangular in shaped and capture is effected by forward horizontal
motion
c. skimming nets – large push nets operated by fishing vessels using a skimming
motion
d. crab lift nets – framed shallow lift nets which are baited
e. cover nets –
f. cast nets –
g. drive-in-nets – operated with a scareline
h. lever nets – usually operated with a bamboo raft
i. blanket nets –
j. bag nets – basnig – conical or cubical bag operated with the aid of light
2. pull or drag nets
 a. Seines – nets consisting of a bunt or bag, flanked on each side by quarters and
wings.
1. drag seines – usually used in the shallow areas (beach seines)
2. reef seines – drag seines used in the reef areas
3. tuck seines – hauling is done on board fishing vessels
a. round haul seines – move out in a circle or an arc of a circle
b. purse seines – tuck seines having landing piece at one end. It is
equipped with a pursing device on the bottom end thereby forming a
trap
c. ring nets – combination of a round haul seine and a purse seine
d. scoop seines – a small purse seine employed as an accessory gear in
deep water corrals
4. stop seines – a seine composed of two separate parts, one is used for
enclosure while the other one is used in gathering the catch.
b. dredge nets and shank nets – bag nets with a raking device
c. trawls – net made up of a conical bag with mouth kept open by various devices and
the entire gear is towed trailed or trawled usually in the bottom of the sea to
capture submerged species
1. Danish – otherwise know as Danish trawl with long ropes to keep the mouth
open.
2. Irish – with wood or bamboo outriggers to keep the mouth open
3. Japanese – bamboo and wood beams attached to the net
4. Spanish – “paranzella” or “parehas” – two boats are often used
5. Beam Trawls – with wooden beam attached to the tip of the wings
6. Otter trawls – with otter boards attached near the wings
7. V-D trawls – Vigneron-Dahl, which otter doors are attached some distance
from the wings to effect a larger width for the mouth opening.

2. Entangling Nets –
1. Gill Nets – curtain like nets which the capture of fish is affected by the actual meshes
of the net.
a. Set gill net – gill nets anchored in one or both ends
b. Drift nets – usually fixed in the rear end of the boat allowed drifting
c. Encircling gill nets – gill nets are encircled and gilling process is hastened by
frightening the fish with various devices
2. Trammel Nets – an entangling net composed of two or more layers.

FISHING EFFICIENCY

Apparently not all fish present in a certain fishing ground can be caught. To determine the
ability of a fishing gear to fish is to determine its fishing efficiency. To get fishing efficiency, this
equation applies

En = N/No where En is the fishing efficiency; N is the number of fish caught by the gear; and No is
the number of fish present in a certain fishing ground during the time of fishing.

Because this is impossible to solve because of the difficulty in determining the number of fish in the
area during a specific operation it is more practical to solve for the catch relative to time of fishing.
This is otherwise known as CPUE relative to time.

Ideally, catch per unit time is Ct = N/T where N is the number of fish caught and T is the time
used in the operation. However, Ct is affected by three factors thus it is best to solve this CPUE thru
this equation:

Ct = Ce x W x Et

Ce = catch per unit volume

Ce = N/v

W = volume fished per unit of time

W = v/ Tf

Tf = time spent for fishing per operation

Et = time efficiency

Et = Tf/T

T = total time of fishing

However in cases that fishing efficiency of same gears is presented, it is difficult to use the
En=N/No. Instead relative catching efficiency is used in quantifying efficiencies of new gears.

Ec = Cg/Cs

Cg = catch of a given gear

Cs = catch obtained by a standard fishing gear or gear used in common practice

SELECTIVITY

Selectivity is the property of fishing gear to catch a certain size and species from a given
mixed population. It depends mainly on the principle of the fishing methods used, and also in design
parameters such as mesh size, loads on twines, material and thickness of twines, hanging ratios and
towing speed. However, next to capture method, mesh size as the greatest influence (Treshev,
1974).

Consider a gill net catches showing a normal distribution as show in the graph. In general
larger fish are favored by a larger mesh opening and for a particular gear there is a size of fish that
50% escape (L50). This is very important in getting the selection factor, which is used as the index
of selective property.

SF = L50/Mo

Mo = mesh opening/ mesh size

MODERN ADVANCES

Modern advances in fishing gear technology includes study of fishing gear relative to the
behavior of fish and the behavior of the gear as affected by external and internal forces during a
fishing operation.

Main Objectives

1. Selection of the type and main components of the fishing gear for catching the given fish
2. Selection of materials
3. Determination of the external, especially hydrodynamic forces acting on the fishing gear
4. Determination of the shape and position of the fishing gear under the action of these external
forces
5. Determination of the internal forces, and strength of the gear and is components.
6. Analysis and optimization of the relation of the fishing gear to other elements in the fishing
system.

AIDS

1. Fish Pumps
2. Remote Sensing
a. aircrafts and helicopters (qualified observers can detect color changes and other
features such as oil films on the water surface, presence of diving birds, ripples and
sometimes churning of surface waters indicating fish schools
b. spaceborne sensors – includes satellites measuring surface temperatures and water
color variations indicating amount of chlorophyll and plankton present in the area
3. Underwater acoustics – echosounders or fish sounders (transmitter, transducer, receiver,
recorder)

MUNICIPAL and COMMERCIAL FISHING GEARS

Municipal Fishing gears – includes all gear which is used to capture of pelagic and demersal
waters (0-15 km) using fishing boats 3GT or less or fishing without the use of fishing vessels.
 Commercial Fishing gears refers to fishing gears used to harvest fishery species by passive or
active gear for trade, business, and profit beyond subsistence or sport fishing using vessels with
more than 3GT.