Cast-Net Fishing

A Hawaiian fisherman uses a cast net. A cast net is usually small enough to be operated by one person. It is round or oval, and can be thrown, or cast, over a large area. Weights on the side of the net help it sink, catching any sea creatures inside.

Photograph by B. Anthony Stewart

- Cast-net fishing is one of the more sustainable methods of recreational or sport fishing. A cast net is usually small enough to be operated by one person. It is round or oval, and can be thrown, or cast, over a large area. Weights on the side of the net help it sink, catching any sea creatures inside.
- Cast nets are one of the oldest and most efficient ways to catch large amounts of small- to medium-sized fish. The ancient Polynesians who first settled Hawaii between the 4th and 9th centuries probably brought the skills and technology of cast-net fishing with them.
- This fisherman is using a large cast net. A fisherman would need to be very strong and have a good sense of balance to fish with this net. The weights on the net (visible as dark rods along the edge) probably weight about 5-7 kilograms (11-15 pounds). Filled with squirming fish, its weight could exceed 45 kilograms (100 pounds).
- There are few regulations restricting non-commercial use of cast nets in the nearshore, coral reef fishery of Hawaii. Strict regulations prohibit many types of cast-net fishing in deeper water.
- Akule (yellowtail scad), menpachi (soldierfish), parrotfish, and goatfish (sometimes called red mullet) are popular fish caught with cast nets near the coast of Hawaii.
Articles & Profiles
- Cast Net World: How to Throw a Cast Net
- Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council: Hawaii Archipelago
Audio & Video
- Big Island Video News: Hawaiians net fishing knowledge at Lawai'a Ohana Camp
Maps
- NOAA: National Geophysical Data Center—US Bathymetric and Fishing Maps
Websites
- NOAA Fisheries: Office of Protected Resources—2012 List of Fisheries

Term	Part of Speech	Definition
ancient	Adjective	very old.
cast	Verb	to throw or toss.
cast net	Noun	circular or oval fishing net, usually small enough to be thrown by one person. Also called a throw net.
commercial	Adjective	having to do with the buying and selling of goods and services.
coral reef	Noun	rocky ocean features made up of millions of coral skeletons.
fishery	Noun	industry or occupation of harvesting fish, either in the wild or through aquaculture.
Polynesia	Noun	island group in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand, Hawaii, and Easter Island.
recreational	Adjective	having to do with activities done for enjoyment.
regulation	Noun	rule or law.
sport fishing	Noun	catching fish for competition or recreation.
sustainable	Adjective	able to be continued at the same rate for a long period of time.

Credits

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Photographer

B. Anthony Stewart

Producer

Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society

Last Updated

Jan. 9, 2012

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please visit our FAQ page.

Media

Some media assets (videos, photos, audio recordings and PDFs) can be downloaded and used outside the National Geographic website according to the Terms of Service. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the lower right hand corner () of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.