Gillnets

Gillnets are long walls of netting hung in the water to trap and hold fish. A fish swims into the invisible netting and as it swims in reverse to try to dislodge, its gills become caught in the net.

Sharks, like other fish, often become entangled in the netting even if they are not the targeted species. If the trapped sharks are still alive when the net is retrieved, they are often injured and stressed.