purse seiner

A purse seiner is a type of fishing boat equipped for purse seining, a method that uses a large net called a purse seine to encircle schools of fish. This net is designed to be set by two boats around a fish shoal. Once the ends of the net are brought together, a rope at the bottom is pulled, closing the net like a purse to trap the fish.1234

Purse seines are particularly effective for catching pelagic fish that school in large, dense groups, such as tuna, herring, sardines, salmon, and mackerel. The fish are then either pumped out of the net or the net is hauled aboard for the fish to be released for sorting. These vessels can range from smaller boats where the net is hauled by hand to larger ones with specialized equipment like power blocks and winches.34