page_title: Trawling
section_title: Bottom vs midwater trawling
hierarchical_section_title: Trawling / Bottom vs midwater trawling
caption_attribution_description: English: A trawl catch of myctophids and glass shrimp from a layer associated with the bottom at greater than 200 meters depth
context_page_description: Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. The net that is used for trawling is called a trawl.
  The boats that are used for trawling are called trawlers or draggers. Trawlers vary in size from small open boats with as little as 30 hp engines to large factory trawlers with over 10,000 hp. Trawling can be carried out by one trawler or by two trawlers fishing cooperatively.
  Trawling can be contrasted with trolling, where baited fishing lines instead of trawls are drawn through the water. Trolling is used both for recreational and commercial fishing whereas trawling is used mainly for commercial fishing. Trawling is also commonly used as a scientific sampling, or survey, method.
context_section_description: Trawling can be divided into bottom trawling and midwater trawling, depending on how high the trawl (net) is in the water column. Bottom trawling is towing the trawl along (benthic trawling) or close to (demersal trawling) the sea floor. Midwater trawling is towing the trawl through free water above the bottom of the ocean or benthic zone.
  Midwater trawling is also known as pelagic trawling. Midwater trawling catches pelagic fish such as anchovies, shrimp, tuna and mackerel, whereas bottom trawling targets both bottom-living fish (groundfish) and semi-pelagic fish such as cod, halibut and rockfish.
  The gear itself can vary a great deal. Pelagic trawls are typically much larger than bottom trawls, with very large mesh openings in the net, little or no ground gear, and little or no chaffing gear. Additionally, pelagic trawl doors have different shapes than bottom trawl doors, although doors that can be used with both nets do exist.
caption: Trawl catch of myctophids and glass shrimp from the bottom at greater than 200 meters depth
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