Target species are mainly demersal fish, but to a lesser extent also pelagic species.
The boat seines consists basically of a conical netting body, two relatively long wings and a bag. An important component for the capture efficiency of boat seines is the long ropes extending from the wings, which are used to encircle a large area. Many seine nets are very similar in design to trawl nets. Frequently, however, the wings are longer than on trawls. The groundrope is usually a fairly heavy rope weighted with lead rings or hanging lead ropes. The seine ropes are made from synthetic fibre ropes with a lead core or from a combination of ropes.