Instrument: Purse-seine Fishing Gear

A purse seine is a large wall of netting deployed in a circle around an entire school of fish. The seine has floats along the top line with a lead line of chain along the bottom. Once a school of fish is located, a skiff pulls the seine into the water as the vessel encircles the school with the net. A cable running along the bottom is then pulled in, "pursing" the net closed on the bottom, preventing fish from escaping by swimming downward. The catch is harvested by bringing the net alongside the vessel and brailing the fish aboard.