Fishing Methods & Gear

For San Diego fishermen, the ideal fishing method and gear is efficient and highly selective for the target species. It should provide the highest catches at the lowest possible costs, while producing the highest quality seafood. In the past, these objectives could come with direct or indirect collateral effects.

Over time, fisheries management has transformed into an ecosystem approach that addresses fishing operations not only on the target species but also on non-target organisms (e.g. turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds) and habitats. This technical management has changed some methods and gears used by San Diego fishermen to protect the ecosystem and keep impacts at negligible levels. Examples include types of hooks and size used, net mesh sizes, time and area closures.

San Diego fishermen use a variety of fishing gears depending on the targeted species, the time of the year, and seasonal openings. Fishing gear is classified as two main categories: passive and active. The classification is based on the relative behavior of the target species and the fishing gear. For passive gears, which are typically stationary gears, the capture of the fish or shellfish occurs because the bait attracts targeted species towards the gear. (e.g. traps, pots, hook and line). Although gillnets don't attract targeted species, fish encounter the gear during feeding or migration, resulting in their capture. Examples of passive gears include hook and line and Portuguese longline for a variety of fish species inhabiting the water column and seafloor, pelagic deep-set longline for tunas and opah, deep-set buoy gear for swordfish, set gill nets for halibut and white seabass, and pots and traps for fish, prawn, crab or lobster.

In contrast, active gears capture seafood based on an aimed search or pursuit of the target species combined with different ways of catching the resource. Active gears used include jig and bait troll for albacore and groundfish, diving for sea urchins, trawling for sea cucumbers, purse seines for baitfish, and harpooning for swordfish.