ABSTRACT
The swimming ability of fish may be one of the most important factors affecting their capture by or escape from fishing gears. It has a bearing on capture processes by both active and passive fishing gears. Swimming ability of fish varies from species to species and size of the fish and can be influenced by environmental factors such as water temperature. This chapter reviews the swimming ability of some commercial marine fish species and discusses the swimming behavior of these species in relation to their capture by, and, escape from, otter trawls and bottom-set gillnets. Swimming speed can be divided into sustained swimming speeds, prolonged swimming speeds and burst swimming speeds, each playing a role in their life history and interactions with fishing gears. Swimming capacity is positively correlated to water temperature in many marine fish species. Swimming capacity can affect capture in both active and stationary fishing gears.
