From Stone Age flax to hydraulic power, how humanity perfected the art of seining.

Gardening · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Seine fishing is an ancient technique that surrounds fish with a vertical net. From Stone Age societies using flax to modern industrial vessels employing hydraulic power blocks, this method has evolved into a sophisticated, albeit regulated, commercial practice that remains one of the most effective ways to capture schooling fish.

The seine net, named from the Greek sagēnē, is a fundamental tool for enclosing fish rather than snaring them like a gillnet. Historically, this method was ubiquitous; Stone Age societies utilized massive nets woven from flax or spruce roots, sometimes requiring hundreds of people to haul. Ancient Mediterranean cultures, including the Egyptians and Romans, documented the use of cork floats and lead weights to keep the net vertical in the water, a design principle that persists today.

Modern commercial seining relies heavily on the purse seine, which uses a drawstring-like mechanism to close the bottom of the net, preventing fish from escaping downward. The efficiency of this method was revolutionized in the 1950s by the introduction of the Puretic power block. This mechanized pulley, driven by hydraulic pumps, allowed for the rapid hauling of large synthetic nets, fundamentally changing the scale and character of the industry. Other regional variations have emerged, such as the drum seine, which uses a horizontally mounted drum to store and haul nets, offering increased safety and requiring fewer deckhands.

While purse seining is often considered a sustainable method for targeting tightly shoaling species like mackerel or herring, it is subject to strict regulation. Concerns regarding by-catch—the unintentional capture of non-target species—and the pressure placed on fish stocks have led to various prohibitions, such as Kenya’s 2001 ban on beach seines and Sri Lanka’s restrictions on near-shore purse seining. Experts note that by-catch rates increase significantly when these nets are used in conjunction with fish aggregating devices, highlighting the ongoing tension between technological efficiency and ecological preservation.

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