Gear Type
Published 1 September 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-iuu-regulation-2026-changes-guidance/gear-type
The following is a list of acceptable gear types and their codes that are available to choose in the Fish Exports Service (FES) application.
Users will need to choose the gear category and associated gear type used to catch each fishery product.
(Some codes have been omitted from the FAO list as they apply to hand gears which are not covered by the IUU regulations which only apply to fish & fishery products caught using vessels)
| Gear category | Gear name | Gear code |
|---|---|---|
| TRAPS | Stationary uncovered pound nets | FPN |
| Pots | FPO | |
| Fyke nets | FYK | |
| Stow nets | FSN | |
| Aerial traps | FAR | |
| Traps (nei) | FIX | |
| TRAWLS | Beam trawls | TBB |
| Single boat bottom otter trawls | OTB | |
| Twin bottom otter trawls | OTT | |
| Multiple bottom otter trawls | OTP | |
| Bottom pair trawls | PTB | |
| Bottom trawls (nei) | TB | |
| Single boat midwater otter trawls | OTM | |
| Midwater pair trawls | PTM | |
| Midwater trawls (nei) | TM | |
| Semi-pelagic trawls | TSP | |
| Trawls (nei) | TX | |
| DREDGES | Towed dredges | DRB |
| Mechanized dredges | DRM | |
| Dredges (nei) | DRX | |
| HOOKS AND LINES | Handlines and hand operated pole and lines | LHP |
| Mechanized lines and pole-and-lines | LHM | |
| Set longlines | LLS | |
| Drifting longlines | LLD | |
| Longlines (nei) | LL | |
| Vertical lines | LVT | |
| Trolling lines | LTL | |
| Hooks and lines (nei) | LX | |
| GILLNETS AND ENTANGLING NETS | Set gillnets (anchored) | GNS |
| Drift gillnets | GND | |
| Encircling nets | GNC | |
| Trammel nets | GTR | |
| Combined gillnets-trammel nets | GTN | |
| Gillents and entangling nets (nei) | GEN | |
| MISCELLANEOUS GEAR | Harpoons | HAR |
| Hand implements (Wrenching gear, Clamps, Tongs, Rakes, Spears) | MHI | |
| Pumps | MPM | |
| Electric fishing | MEL | |
| Push nets | MPN | |
| Scoop nets | MSO | |
| Drive-in-nets | MDR | |
| Diving | MDV | |
| SURROUNDING NETS | Purse seines | PS |
| Surrounding nets without purse lines | LA | |
| Surrounding nets (nei) | SUX | |
| SEINE NETS | Beach seines | SB |
| Boat seines | SV | |
| Seine nets (nei) | SX | |
| LIFT NETS | Portable lift nets | LNP |
| Boat-operated lift nets | LNB | |
| Lift nets (nei) | LN | |
| FALLING GEAR | Cast nets | FCN |
| Cover pots/lantern nets | FCO | |
| Falling gear (nei) | FG |
- The codes come from the International Standard Statistical Classification of Fishing Gear (ISSCFG 2016) https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/830259c5-cbba-49f8-ae0d-819cd54356d3/content