In the Java sea, pelagic fish are exploited by purse seiners. The resource is dispersed and has to be aggregated before being fished. Light is used to reach this objective. The purse seiners are mobile and fish in ‘packs’. When concentrations of fish are found the fishing vessels gather in clusters. The spatial characterization of these clusters provides better understanding of the fishing strategy followed by the purse seiners. A point process approach is used to understand the clustering process and determine the life time of the clusters. The calculation of a density function defines the surface influenced by the cluster and estimates the intensity of the exploitation inside it. Clustering is the mark of the fishing phase that is defined by the significant divergence of the L-function from the Poisson process. In the fishery, such a result is observed when at least 15 purse seiners are gathered. Usually, the fishing phase lasts 4–6 days. The surface covered by the clusters represents a small part (15–25 %) of the surface that is accessible to the fleet. In these areas, the fishing intensity can reach high values (160 vessels × nautical mile–2).