Prince William Sound Sockeye is harvested using the Gillnetting technique.

Gillnetting involves laying a net wall in the water in the fishes’ path. The fish swim into the mesh and their gills are caught in the webbing, preventing them from escaping. Most gillnetters are small one to three-man boats ranging from 32 to 42 feet in length. A gillnet fisherman uses a net from 900-1800 feet long, a choice not made by him, but by the State of Alaska. Mesh size is also regulated. Some gillnetters are equipped to carry fish on ice or in refrigerated holds, but most deliver their catch daily. They usually divide the hold into several bins that are lined with a brailer bag.

Then, when the gillnetter comes alongside the tendering vessel, the brailer bags are simply lifted aboard, emptied and returned to the catcher vessel. This reduces handling of the fish, which significantly improves the quality of the catch.