A study on structure and function of set gillnets (anchored) with an emphasis on the fishing grounds of Khuzestan province

Gillnets are one of the most considerable passive fishing gears that are set vertically in the water, and the fish that swim towards them are caught. The process of catching through the net is mainly by stuck their operculum into the meshes. The principal mechanism of these nets is deception, based on making the fish indifferent to the danger (fishing gear). If these gears stay in one place for a certain period, they are called set gillnets and are the most remarkable tools in coastal (inshore) fishing. Anchored (set) gillnets are usually fixed in the seabed through massive metal anchors or set near the bottom and other water surfaces via a buoy and weight retention system. Due to the shallow water depth in the fishing grounds of Khuzestan Province, the use of anchored gillnets in the different deepness of setting the nets for catching various fish species, such as epipelagic (narrow-barred mackerel), benthopelagic (silver pomfret), demersal (fourfinger threadfin), and littoral (Liza) has long been customary. The most important results of replacing anchored gillnets with trawling for fishing will include improving the environmental situation, preserving commercial fish stocks, and the economic prosperity of the fishing community.