Lift Net Fisheries

Abstract

The lift net is an extremely adaptable fishing method which is practiced world-wide in rivers, lakes, marshes, coastal waters and even the open sea. The nets range widely in both scale and operation from small scoop nets operated by one man to large-scale lift net operations involving the crews of up to eight boats. A lift net consists of a sheet of netting surrounded by a round, rectangular, square or fan-shaped frame which is sub-merged, then raised or hauled upward out of the water to catch the fish above them. Several large sheets of netting may be loosely hung on the frame allowing the net to take on a bag-like appearance when under water. The lift net, as in all types of fishing nets, also consists of a main net and rope of synthetic fibre with a float and/or a sinker attached.