Brian Sanders (British, B. 1937) "Purse Seiner - Fishing Boat" Watercolor on Illustration Board.Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the Great Britain 25p Purse Seiner stamp issue of September 23, 1981.It was thousands of years ago that man first harvested the bounty of the sea. Today, nearly five million people make their living fishing in the world's oceans. Pulling over 152 billion pounds of fish a year from the sea, these fishermen annually catch the equivalent of nearly forty-two pounds of fish for every person in the world. To gather this kind of harvest from the ocean requires the most advanced fishing equipment. Using helicopters, radar, and other electronic gear to locate fish, the great fleets roam the earth in search of fish. The fishing vessel featured in the painting is using purse seining, probably the most efficient method of net fishing ever devised. Armed with sonar and other electronic equipment, the boat's captain can obtain video information of the underwater world in full color. This enables him to pinpoint shoaling fish and determine the depth at which they are swimming. Casting their nets far from the boat so that they can encircle a vast area of water, the fishermen often catch their week's quota in a matter of hours. As the net is pulled in close to the , the opening tightens like a drawstring purse. Instead of hauling the fish on deck and risking damage to the expensive nets, the men use a fish pump to suck up the catch and pour it straight into the hold. The purse seiner is one of man's finest fishing innovations, allowing him to gather tons of fish from the sea to feed the world's people.Image Size: 12 x 14 in.Overall Size: 16 x 22.25 in.Unframed.(B06851)