The Danish off-shore fishing industry can be divided into industrial fishing and fishing for human consumption. Industrial fishing means catching fish for industrial use, i.e. for producing fish meal and fish oil. Industrial fishing began in the North Sea at the end of the 1940s with herring fishing. Norway pout and sprat were added to these. Industrial fishing has for a number of years been by far the most important branch of fishing with a total catch in 1993 of 1.2 million tonnes.
Industrial fishing is done employing trawls of various types.
Fishing for Norway lobster, deep water prawn and common mussels is also of importance. Eel used also to be important, but after a serious diminution of stocks in the 1970s it has been of less importance. Fish for immediate human consumption is caught by means of stationary or dredging gear. Gillnets and poundnets, traps and hooks belong to the former, trawls and Danish seine to the latter. Special dredgers are used for catching mussels.