The simulation of the geometry of a tuna purse seine under current and drift of purse seiner

Abstract

It was necessary to obtain a more practical interactive precise model of the three-dimensional (3-D) geometry during purse seine operations considering movements of fishing vessel and details of the sea condition. The changes in the shape of a purse seine from shooting to pursing during pelagic skipjack fishing was recorded in the Southwest Pacific Ocean by photographs of the scanning sonar with in situ measurements of water flow by a current meter. The modeling of 3-D geometry during purse seining was established using finite element methods, as resultant force vector from flow drag, buoyancy, sinking force, tension of pulling or pursing acting on net panels in connection with drift of fishing vessel with time elapsed from the start of shooting to the end of pursing. The simulation results were matched closely by field measurements as a heart-like shape in upper net near floatline and a water-drop shape in purse line following drift of ship towards inside net circle during pursing. This model of a purse seine can be extended to almost any kind of purse seine generating real fishing parameters and to modeling fish capture process.