Uistelukalastus

Uistelukalastus is a form of commercial fishing that involves dragging a large piece of net through the water, typically over the sea bottom or a specific depth zone, to catch fish. The word comes from the Finnish verb uistea, meaning to stir or churn, reflecting the movement of the net through the water. The method is also known internationally as trawling and is widely used in both coastal and deep‑sea fisheries worldwide.

In uistelukalastus the fishing vessel is fitted with a towing system that holds the net at a predetermined depth. The net may be a belt, a beam trawl, or a scallop trawl, each with a different shape and mesh size suitable for the target species. Common gear includes a deadweight, a trawl winch, a stinger to bend the front of the net and reduce catch loss, and a trawl dam to protect the net from adverse currents. The net is typically towed for several kilometers, and the catch is hauled aboard via a deck winch and then sorted by species and size.

The practice targets a variety of fish such as plaice, cod, herring, and pollock in European waters, while in other regions it may serve for shrimp or lobster. Because of its broad catch, uistelukalastus can also grab non‑target species and jellyfish, leading to bycatch and discards. Environmental concerns include bottom trawling’s impact on benthic habitats and its contribution to overfishing. European Union regulations and national laws often impose limits on trawling areas, seasons, and mesh sizes to mitigate these effects. Sustainable management and technological advances such as tube nets, electronic monitoring, and gear modifications are increasingly being pursued to balance productive fisheries with ecological protection.