FAO/FIIT Fishing Gear Type Fact-Sheet Gillnets and entangling nets updated : 10-mai-2001 ISSCFG Classification : > Category : Gillnets and entangling nets   Driftnets   Encircling gillnets   Fixed gillnets (on stakes) Profile General Description: Gillnets and entangling nets are strings of single, double or triple netting walls, vertical, near by the surface, in midwater on on the bottom, in which fish will gill, entangle or enmesh. Gillnets and entangling nets have floats on the upper line (headrope) and, in general, weights on the ground-line (footrope). Gillnets or entangling nets consist in single or, less commonly, double (both are known as "gillnets", strictly speaking) or triple netting (known as " trammel net") mounted together on the same frame ropes. Several types of nets may be combined in one gear (for example,trammel net combined with gillnet). These nets can be used either alone or, as is more usual, in large numbers placed in line ('fleets' of nets). The gear can set, anchored to the bottom or left drifting, free or connected with the vessel. Specific Equipment: Small solid floats, usually made of plastic and spherical, cylindrical or egg-shaped, are attached to the headrope and weights are evenly distributed along the footrope. Specific Handling Equipment: Gillnets (any type) can be hauled by hand, at least from shallow or moderate depth, in small-scale fisheries (when the total length of net is not too large). However, the use of gillnet or net hauler is now very common; sometime apower block can also be used. The gillnets are, most of the time, folded on the deck, often within a delimited area or, in some cases, kept onnet drums. Fishing Vessels using this gear: Gillnetters Fishing Operations: The means of capture is that the fish are gilled, entangled or enmeshed in the netting. Gillnetting and entangling are two different principles of catching: a fish being retained by its gills or the whole or part of the body of the fish being entangled, in the net webbing; one or the other may happen according to the slack of the netting on the frame ropes. Features Target Species: Pelagic, demersal and benthic species Areas: all The Gear and its Environment: Deployment Area: According to their design, ballasting and buoyance, these nets may be used to fish near to thesurface, inmidwater or at thebottom, either in inland and sea waters. Impact on the Environment: Real gillnets, at least those with a single netting, are, in general, considered as having a high degree of selectivity, in terms of fish species, as well as size of the fish which directly depends on the size of the mesh. Incidental catch of a number of endangered species such asturtles,sharks, marine mammals or seabirds, in certain areas is a matter of growing concern. Researches are carried out aiming to a reduction of this risk; at the same time, International Plans of action for the reduction of the incidental catch of sharks or the entanglement of seabird when operating gillnets, were agreed on. "Ghost fishing", when lost (or discarded) gillnets, or any piece of netting, drifting or somehow attached to the bottom, continue, somehow, is also a serious concern. The use of new material or mounting can now make that lost nets will not fish for too long or unlimited time. For the above mentioned reasons, the United Nations banned, in 1991, the use of large scale high seas driftnets over 2.5 kilometers long. From the point of view of environment, in general, it is also worth noting the low energy consumption for fishing with gillnets.