This paper presents an analysis of the strength and deformation of the fishing nets developed at POLICAB laboratory at Federal University of Rio Grande, emphasizing: a) the construction of a device to set nets in a mechanical testing machine, b) the development of the appropriate test procedures, c) the execution of the tension tests in fishing nets and d) the analysis and the processing of the data. The study discusses the important mechanical characteristics of the fishing nets and the stress distribution when tension efforts are applied.