Ecomare

Herring, mackerel and other plankton-feeding fish swim where their food swims: sometimes close to the surface, sometimes lower down in the water colomn. These fish can be caught if your net hangs at the right height as it is pulled through the water. Such a net is called a drift net, or in technical terms, pelagic trawl. The opening is held open with otter boards (in the case of a single ship) or by pulling it through the water using two ships (twin trawling). Pelagic trawling is applied by the large stern trawlers which fish such species as herring, mackerel and whiting, and by the industrial fisheries, which are after sprat, lesser sandeel and Norway pout.