Deep Sea Fishing: Trawlers, Techniques, and History

Big Freezer Trawlers: Floating Factories

Big freezer trawlers can be described as floating factories. But what are some of the features of these boats?

• They stay out at sea for a month.
• The technology is really modern.

Some trawlers belong to fleets. What does this mean? It means that the trawlers work for the same owners or company.

Do the boat owners own the canning factories? No, they are usually separate.

Is the owner of the ship the captain? No, he works for the owner and negotiates with him.

What does he negotiate? The captain has to negotiate the duration of the fishing trip and the quantity of fish to be caught.

How does the crew get paid? Everybody gets a wage for coming, but you can get bonuses depending on the number of fish caught.

Does everybody earn the same money? Usually yes, unless you’re a cook or cabin boy.

Is the price of the fish always the same? No, it can go up or down depending on the market. Normally the captain shares out the profits with the crew.

Why is it a hard life? The main reason is the weather.

What is the best thing about being a fisherman? The community spirit.

Fishing Techniques and Areas

What makes an area good for fish? Favorable currents and temperatures and abundant plant life.

What is shallow water fishing? Fishing that is carried out by small boats along the Spanish coast, for example, for Tuna.

What is deep water fishing? It’s fishing in specific areas called fisheries. Fish is sold fresh.

What is very deep water fishing? It’s fishing which uses new technology on the ships.

Types of Fish and Fishing Methods

What are pelagic fish? Fish such as tuna which swim near the surface of the water.

What are demersal fish? Fish such as cod which swim at the bottom of the sea and are less gregarious.

What are the simplest types of fishing techniques? Using a fish trap or bag net to catch the fish at low tide or a simple rod.

What is an almadraba? It’s a net used in the Mediterranean to catch tuna.

What is trawling? It’s fishing with a cone-shaped net 30 meters wide to catch fish from the sea bottom.

What is a drift net? It’s a series of nets which are also used to catch fish from the sea bottom.

A Look Back at Fishing History

What do we know about fishing nearer home in the 16th and 17th centuries? Sea bream was caught in winter and tuna in summer, while hake and eel were also caught.

What dealt a blow to Basque fishing in the 18th century? Colonial markets such as the Caracas Company.

What did people do to survive? They combined fishing with agriculture.

A problem for Basque fishing in the 19th century? Constant wars.

Fished in Iparralde? Sardines.

Industry developed in Lapurdi? The canning industry.

Most notable transformation in the industry in the 19th century? They started to incorporate machine engines on the ships.

What was one of the negative consequences of this? There was excessive fishing.

In the 20th century? Because of the increased capacity of steamships, coastal trawling, and new machinery.

During which period did catches momentarily increase? Between 1939-1945.