Gillnets
Gill Net Fishing
Gill net is the most productive municipal fishing gear. In 1995, it contributed 258,021 MT or 32.9% of the municipal fishery production. However, it ranked only 7th in the commercial fishery sector by producing 10,297 MT or 1.11%
The simplicity in its design, construction, operation, and low investment cost makes the gill net the preferred gear for the small-scale fishermen. Their design usually conforms with the behavior and type of the targeted species including habitat and swimming layers. It is common to see variation in design from one place to another according to the available fishery resources.
Gill nets are classified in many ways depending on the type of species targeted, type of operations, and depth of the sea. In the country, we have anchovy gill net, mackerel gill net, crab gill net, tuna drift gill net, flying fish gill net, garfish gill net and gill nets for other species. They are also classified according to the depth of the water such as surface gill net, mid-water gill net and bottom gill net. Others are classified as encircling gill net as they surround a school of fish and the fishermen drives the fish by hitting the water surface with paddles. Gill nets are also used to block a school of fish and a scaring device or ropes with plastic strips will herd the school toward the net.
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