Snurrevaad fishery

Snurrevaad fishing, or among Dutch fishermen called snorren/snurren, is a form of inshore fishing. A modern variant of this technique is called flyshooting. When snurrevaad is mentioned in the text, this will also refer to flyshooting. This way of fishing is mainly used by Danish and Scottish fishermen. Dutch fishermen are also starting to appreciate this way of fishing and see a future in it. Plaice and dab, as well as gurnard and mullet are among the target species.

Fishing technique

The fisherman seals off a large stretch of seabed by long lines, also called seine ropes, and a net. These lines are then hauled to the vessel. The lines roll over the bottom, creating clouds of dust. The fish are chased by the ropes and driven into the net.
Snurrevaad fishing is only effective in sufficient daylight. With sufficient daylight, the fish can see the lines or seine ropes and this is conducive to the catch rate. This means snurrevaad cannot be used in the dark. In winter, when days are short, this fishing technique will bear less fruit than in summer, when days are long.

Snurrevaad fishing achieves the best results in flat, sandy sea areas without obstacles. Therefore, it is mostly fished in The English Channel, The Baltic Sea and certain parts of the North Sea.

Flyshooting

As mentioned earlier, flyshooting is the modern version of snurrevaad. In this, the fisherman first shoots out a fishing line to which a buoy is attached. The vessel steams away from the buoy in a circumferential motion and at the same time the fishing line is released and the net is shot away. When the vessel reaches the buoy again, the fishing line attached to the buoy is hauled in and reels are used to haul the lines with the net attached to them to the vessel.
The flyshoot fishermen proudly present the leaflet 'Flyshooting; the key word for quality and sustainability!' Flyshoot fishermen join forces and work together for a healthy fishing industry, for now and in the future! 

The big difference between flyshoot and snurrevaad is: a flyshooter keeps itself in position by means of the vessel's propeller, while the snorder anchors.

Sustainability

Snurrevaad is an environmentally friendly method for the following reasons;

• Energy consumption is low.
• Maintenance costs are low.
• Excellent quality fish because little to no debris is caught which can damage the fish and because it is a slow fishing technique, the fish often only ends up in the net at the end of the haul so damage remains low.
• The fish is still alive when it comes on board.
• Little to no seabed disturbance.
• Little to no bycatch and/or discards.
• The higher quality fish of the snurrevaad fishery translates into good and high prices at the fish auctions.