There are mainly five methods for tuna fishing. “Ipponzuri” (catching fish with fishing poles) in Oma, Aomori prefecture, you see a lot through the media, is well known. However, the fact is that Long line fishing method and Purse seine fishing method are the ones catching the most tuna. The rest is Fixed net fishing method and Hikiami (Seine fishing method).
<Long line fishing method (延縄漁)>
To hang a long line (Mikinawa) in the sea, covered with about 3000 fishhooks attached to branch lines (Edanawa), aiming at a path of schooling tuna.
<Purse seine fishing method (巻き網漁)>
Purse seine fishing is a fishing method in which a large net is spread out in a circle and quickly envelops schools of swimming fish. Once the school is surrounded by the net, the bottom of the net is pulled up to make the enclosure smaller. The diameter of the circular net can range from 200 meters to 1,000 meters.
A large-scale method of fishing by encircling a school of tuna with a net. Although it is efficient, there is a demerit of lowering the quality of fish because they struggle while getting caught. In addition, other kinds of fish and immature fish can be caught without distinction and that leads to overfishing.
<Fixed net fishing method (定置網漁)>
Tuna have a habit of migrating to the same ocean area at the same time each year. A coastal fishing method called Fixed net fishing consists of placing a net in the sea and wait for a school of tuna. The advantage of this method is to be able to capture the fish alive without causing any injury or damage.
<Catching fish with fishing poles (一本釣り)>
This method has the longest history and uses a pole of 4 – 6 meters to fish from a boat. Using a machine that winds up lines automatically and also using human hands, pull up tuna that weighs more than 100kg and lastly catch it by piercing gills with a harpoon.
<Trolling line fishing method (曳網漁)>
To catch fish by towing a bag-shaped net from a boat.
We hope this information will be helpful.
Revision date: June 2, 2025
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