Hauling Beach Seines at Bengkulu Beach

Towing a beach seine at Bengkulu Beach. In local language it is called "maelo pukek"

Hauling beach seines is one of some Bengkulu's fishermen methods to catch fishes from the beach. This method has long been existed in Bengkulu, maybe before Indonesian Independence the fishermen of Bengkulu had acknowledged to this method. I still remember when i was in kindergarten we were taught to sing a local song entitled "Yo botoy botoy" that describing the hauling beach seines culture at Bengkulu beach.

A beach seine is a seine net operated from the shore. The gear is composed of a bunt (bag or lose netting) and long wings lengthened with long ropes for towing the seine to the beach. The headrope with floats is on the surface, the footrope is in permanent contact with the bottom and the seine is therefore a barrier which prevent the fish from escaping from the area enclosed by the net.

To set a beach seine is done by fastening the first towing line ashore. Using a small boat without engine, then the line, the first wing, the bag, second wing and second line is set out in a wide arc and brought back to the beach. The bottom and surface act as natural barriers which prevent the fish from escaping from the area enclosed by the net.

There are two groups of beach seine hauler. Each group hauling one side line of the beach seine. At the first tow, the group separate each other for about 100 meters and then they getting closer for some next tow.

After the net has been places surrounding a school of fish, fishermen on the beach haul the "wings" of the net. The drag lines are towed simultaneously from the beach. As the net approaches the beach, fishes are herded in front of the bag or bunt.

Two groups are getting closer

When the wings begin to rise on the shoreline, the withdrawal is done through the command of a foreman in order to adjust the position of the seine so that not too many of the fishes escape from the net.

A foreman giving command to the hauler of beach seine

The groups haul the rope gradually approached each other along with the approach of seine to the beach. From the first tows, these group has displaced for 4 or 5 times successively until finally they are united.