The oceans supply us with food, help regulate our climate, and supply a livelihood for millions of people. We depend on the oceans for recreation and renewal. But our seas are not the infinite bounty they appear to be. Today, no part of the oceans remain unaffected by human activities. Among the many factors influencing our ocean ecosystems, none has a greater impact than fishing.

Diners at Waterbar may notice that we list a method of catch for each fish we serve. The “where” and “when” is very important when offering fish to our guests, but equally important is the “how”. There are a variety of fishing methods and we at Waterbar want to ensure the future of wild fish populations. Here is a guide to some of the terms seen on our menus: 

Pole Fishing		fishing pole and bait targets a variety of fish from open ocean swimmers to bottom dwellers environmentally responsible very low bycatch rates
Purse Seining		establishes a large wall of netting to encircle schools of fish fisherman pull the bottom of the netting closed to herd the fish into the center used to catch schooling fish (sardines) used to catch species that gather to spawn (squid)
Gillnetting		curtains of netting that are suspended by a system of floats and weights can be anchored to the sea floor or allowed to float at the surface often used to catch sardines and cod can accidentally entangle and kill other animals, but well chosen mesh size helps to diminish bycatch
Longlining		employs a central fishing line that can range from 1 to 50 miles long this line is strung with smaller lines of baited hooks can be set near the surface or laid on the sea floor can catch other sea life sinking longlines deeper reduces the bycatch problem
Trawls and Dredges		nets towed at various depths to catch fish and shellfish trawl nets (which can be as large as a football field) are dragged along the sea floor or midway between the floor and the surface bottom trawling can result in high levels of bycatch dredging involves dragging the sea floor for animals that live in the mud and sand dredging can damage the sea floor and often results in significant bycatch
Traps and Pots		submerged wire or wood cages that attract fish with bait hold the catch alive until fisherman haul in usually placed on the ocean floor used to catch lobster, crab, shrimp, and cod result in lower unintended catch and less sea floor impact than trawls
Harpooning		traditional method of catching large fish still used today by skilled fisherman environmentally responsible fishing method no bycatch as fisherman visually identify size and species of targeted fish
Trolling		a hook-and-line method that tows fishing lines behind or alongside a boat trollers catch fish that follow a moving lure or bait environmentally responsible fishing method fisherman can quickly release unwanted catch as lines are reeled in soon after a fish takes the bait

Most seafood in the U.S. is caught using nets dragged behind boats, such as purse seines, trawls and dredges