Hauling in a catch of purse seined sardines in Maine's Penobscot Bay. Purse seining is the process of catching schools of the fish near the ocean surface by circling them with a net. Once the fish have been encircled, a wire (purse line) running through the bottom of the net is winched tight to "close the purse" from below. Two boats are required. The "bug boat," which holds one end of the net, holds in place position while a larger boat encircles the school of fish releasing the net in its wake. The top of the net stays at the surface, buoyed by a "float line." The bottom of the net is connected to the purse line by large, metal clips called "rings." Once the net has encircled the school, the bug boat's float line is tied off to the gunwale of the seiner. The bug boat then motors to the opposite side of the seiner, attaches to the seiner using several lines, and powers away from the seine net to insure that the mass of fish and net do not drift below the seiner, pulling the ship over sideways. Next, a winch on the deck of the seiner pulls in both ends of the purse line, closing off the bottom of the seine net like a giant drawstring.

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