stern trawler
Quick Summary
A stern trawler is a powerful type of fishing vessel designed to tow a trawl net, which is a conical net dragged through the water or along the seabed to catch fish. These vessels are typically equipped with ramps at the stern, allowing large catches to be pulled onto the working deck. Modern stern trawlers can be powered by engines up to 5,000 horsepower and are often described as floating factories, capable of cleaning and freezing fish onboard for later processing.1
The design of stern trawlers, with the wheelhouse and superstructure forward and a lower working deck aft, facilitates the launching and recovery of the trawl over the stern. This design has become dominant in modern fishing fleets, with most trawlers built today being stern trawlers.2
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