STATUS OF EXPLOITEDeprints.cmfri.org.in/45/1/32.pdf · Minimum and maximum landings 33 (1981) 101...

STATUS OF EXPLOITEDMARINE FISHERY

RESOURCES OF INDIA

EditorsM. Mohan Joseph

andA.A. Jayaprakash

CENTRAL MARINE FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)Post Box No. 1603, Tatapuram P.O.

Kochi – 682 014, India

254

Status of Exploited Marine Fishery Resources of India

32Trends in LandingsM. Srinath, Somy Kuriakose, K. G. MiniM. R. Beena and Sindhu K. Augustine

1. Oil Sardine .................................................................................................................................2552. Indian Mackerel ..........................................................................................................................2563. Bombay-duck ...............................................................................................................................2574. Carangids ....................................................................................................................................2585. Whitebaits .................................................................................................................................. 2596. Seerfishes ..................................................................................................................................... 2607. Tunas ..................................................................................................................................................2618. Hilsa shad ....................................................................................................................................2629. Golden Anchovy ..........................................................................................................................26310. Ribbonfishes .................................................................................................................................26411. Pomfrets ........................................................................................................................................ 26512. Sharks .............................................................................................................................................. 26613. Rays ...................................................................................................................................................26714. Threadfin Breams .....................................................................................................................26815. Catfishes ....................................................................................................................................... 26916. Croakers .......................................................................................................................................27017. Silverbellies ..................................................................................................................................27118. Goatfishes ....................................................................................................................................27219. Threadfins ...................................................................................................................................27320. Rock cods ..................................................................................................................................... 27421. Flatfishes ....................................................................................................................................... 27522. Big-jawed jumper ......................................................................................................................27623. Penaeid Shrimps .........................................................................................................................27724. Non-penaeid Prawns ................................................................................................................27825. Crabs ................................................................................................................................................27926. Lobsters ..........................................................................................................................................28027. Cephalopods ..................................................................................................................................28128. Sectoral trends .........................................................................................................................282

255

1. Oil Sardine

The Indian Oi l sard ine(Sardinella longiceps) is one ofthe major pelagic resources ofIndia. Nearly 98% of the landingstake place in the southernpeninsular coast in which thesouthwest coast accounts for themajor share.

The characteristic feature ofthe landings has been the verywide interannual fluctuations.The landings reached an all timehigh of 3,67,000 tonnes in the year 2000 and all time low of 47,000 tonnes in 1994.Significantly, oil sardine has emerged as a major resource along the southeast regionsince 1996. The southwest which was traditionally been the most productive region

for the resource has been totallymarginalised during 1994, theproduction realized being about3,000 tonnes only. However,since then the landings in thisregion have improved, regainedits premier position by attainingon high production level ofabout 2,74,000 tonnes in theyear 2000.

Average landings and percentage to the total landings

Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 184 (12.2) 170 (8.9) 97 (4.2) 107 (4.1)

Minimum and maximum landings 47 (1994) 367 (2000)

Potential yield (2000) 267 Current yield (2001) 268

Regionwise contribution (%) (Average for last five years)

Northeast 0.3 Southeast 37.5 Southwest 61.5 Northwest 0.7

Major gears used Purse seine, Ring seine, Gill netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

256


2. Indian Mackerel

The Indian mackerel suppo-rted by a single species namely,Rastrelliger kanagurta is one ofthe most important pelagicresources. It has a wide distri-bution along both the coast, withvery high concentrations alongthe southwest coast. Nearly 80%of the landings is accounted bythe west coast.

Post-monsoon is the mostproductive period along thesouthwest coast. In the southeast region peak landings occur during January-March.

The landings recorded an alltime high of about 2,91,000tonnes during the last twodecades. However, the trend inthe landing has since beensliding downward. The size inthe landings consequent to theuse of large seines and powerfulout-board engines does not seemto sustain during subsequentyears.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 42 (2.8) 148 (7.8) 177 (7.7) 204 (7.9)





Major gears used Gill net, Ring seine, Trawl net, Purse seineNote: Landings and yield in,000 tonnes

257

3. Bombay-duck

The Bombay-duck fishery issupported by a single speciesnamely, Harpadon nehereus mostabundant in the northwest regionof peninsular India.

The season for Bombay-ducklasts from September to June withbulk of landings taking placeduring October-December.

The all India landings touchedan all time high of 1,38,000tonnes during 1981 and subsequently declined and again reached a new peak of1,36,000 tonnes in 1991. The trend in the all India landings are governed by thelandings in the northwest region. Since 1993, the landings are fluctuating around

annual average of about 90,000tonnes. It was also observed,although there is a gradualdecline in the landings inMaharashtra, the increasedlandings in Gujarat has beenmaintaining the total productionaround the annual average ofabout 85,000 tonnes in thenorthwest coast.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 111 (7.4) 97 (5.1) 111 (4.8) 102 (3.9)





Major gears used Dol net, Trawl netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

258


4. Carangids

Horse mackerel (Megalaspiscordyla), scads (Decapterus spp.)leather jackets (Scomberoidesspp.) and other carangid speciesof Alepes, Selar, Caranx form thecomponents of the carangidlandings in India.

Southern peninsular coastaccounts for more than 80% ofthe landings followed by thenorthwest coast.

The landings have been gradually increasing since 1981 and at the all Indiabasis reached a peak of about 1,97,000 tonnes in 1995 and therafter a gradual

decline in the landings is noted.However, the landings along thesouthwest peaked in 1992 anddwindled to about 40,000 tonnesin the recent years. The landingsalong the southeast coastfluctuate around an annualaverage of about 30,000 tonnessince 1994.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 49 (3.3) 123 (6.5) 165 (7.2) 134 (5.2)





Major gears used Trawl net, Gill net, Hooks & lineNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

259

5. Whitebaits

Only s i x spec i e s we rereported to be forming theconstituents of the landingsw i t h v a r y i n g d e g r e e s o fabundance over the region.Among these, Encrasicholinadevisi, Stolephorus waitei, S.commersonii and S. indicus formthe bulk of the landings.

M o r e t h a n 9 5 % o f t h elandings in India are accountedby the southern peninsular coast

in which southwest region ismore productive

The al l India landingsattained an all time peak of about1,01,000 tonnes and thereafterthere was a gradual decline in thelandings, chiefly due to decli-ning trends in the southwestcoast. In the southeast coast thelandings are fluctuating aroundan annual average of about20,000 tonnes.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 59 (3.9) 70 (3.7) 73 (3.2) 57 (2.2)





Major gears used Ring seine, Trawl netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

260


6. Seerfishes

Scomberomorus commerson,S. guttatus, S. lineolatus andAcanthocybium solandri are thecomponents of the seerfishlandings in India of which the firsttwo species constitute more than90% of the landings.

The west coast accounts formore than 60% of the landings.Bulk of the landings along theeast coast is accounted bysouthern coastal states of TamilNadu and Andhra Pradesh.

During the last twenty years,t h e l a n d i n g s h a v e b e e nincreasing. Along the northwestc o a s t w i d e i n t e r a n n u a lvariations were observed. Thelandings along the southwestcoast have been fluctuatingaround an annual average ofabout 8,000 tonnes, during thelast ten years. The southeastcoast has been emerging as a

major contributor to the seerfish landings in India.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 33 (2.2) 34 (1.8) 42 (1.8) 46 (1.8)





Major gears used Gill net, Trawl net, Hooks & lineNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

261

7. Tunas

The coastal tunas comprisingEuthynnus affinis, Auxis thazardand Thunnus tonggol are themain components of tunnies.Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonuspelamis) exploited from coastalwaters are also included in thisgroup. Nearly 50% of the tunniesis accounted by the little tuna(E. affinis).

Southern peninsular coast ofIndia accounts for the bulk of thelandings especially the little tuna. T. tonggol forms the major component of tunalandings along the northwest coast.

The quarter of April to June and October to December are more productiveperiods. Productive period fortuna fishery was observed to bedur ing Apr i l - June in thesouthwest coast and July toSeptember in the southeastcoast. Along the northwestcoast, October to December isobserved to be most productiveperiod.

The al l India landingsattained an all time high of52,000 tonnes in 1990 and since

then there was a gradual decline with indications of revival in the recent years mainlydue to increased landings along the southeast and northwest region.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 21 (1.4) 38 (2.0) 34 (1.5) 39 (1.5)





Major gears used Gill net, Hooks & lineNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

262


8. Hilsa shad

The Hilsa shad (Hilsa ilisha)forms a prominent fishery alongthe northeast region, more soalong the West Bengal coast.

The a l l I nd i a l and ingsattained an all time peak of about30,000 tonnes and subsequentlythe landings declined gradually,the production falling to nearly athird of the peak.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 6 (0.4) 8 (0.4) 25 (1.1) 18 (0.7)





Major gears used Gill netNote: Landings and Yield in thousand tonnes

263

9. Golden Anchovy

The golden anchovy (Coiliadussumieri) fishery is limited tothe northwest coast and to a lesserextent in the northeast coast.

Since the northwest regioncontributes to the bulk of thelandings in India, the overalltrend resembles to that in thenorthwest coast.

During the last decade thelandings have been fluctuating

around annual average of 34,000tonnes and in the northeastregion particularly along theWest Bengal coast, the landingwere fluctuating around 4,000annually.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 20 (1.4) 27 (1.4) 34 (1.5) 35 (1.4)


Potential yield (2000) NA Current yield (2001) 32



Major gears used Trawl net, Dol netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

264


10. Ribbonfishes

The four species Trichiuruslepturus, Lepturacanthus savala,Eupleurogrammus intermediusand E. muticus are found alongboth the east and west coasts withvarying dominance. From thefishery point of view, T. lepturusis the dominant component,constituting more than 75% of theribbonfish landings.

Generally, the peak landingstake place during the postmonsoon followed by the premonsoon period except along the Kerala coast wherethe maximum landings are observed during the monsoon period.

Earlier, the southern peninsular coast was accounting for the bulk of ribbonfishlandings in India, but, since thelast two decades the northwestcoast has emerged as the leadingproducer.

The all time high landings ofabout 1,82,000 tonnes wererecorded in the year 2000. Thelandings along the west coasthave been generally showingupward trend.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 53 (3.6) 77 (4.0) 98 (4.3) 145 (5.6)





Major gears used Trawl netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

265

11. Pomfrets

Silver Pomfret (Pampusargenteus) , b lack pomfre t(Parastromateus niger) and theChinese pomfret (P. chinensis)form the pomfret landings inIndia, of which the silver pomfretdominates the landings followedby the black pomfret.

More than half of the landingsin India is accounted by thenorthwest region. Higherlandings are obtained duringJanuary-March and July-September.

All India trend shows that the landings are fluctuating with minor variations,around 40,000 tonnes annually during last decade and half. However, in the northwestregion, there was a gradual decline in the landings, then some revival from 1997

onwards, owing mainly toincreased landings along theGujarat coast. The landingsalong the southeast region havealso been sliding down in therecent years. There was nosignificant change in the trenda l o n g t h e n o r t h e a s t a n dsouthwest regions.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 47 (3.2) 39 (2.0) 40 (1.8) 41 (1.6)





Major gears used Gill net, Trawl netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

266


12. Sharks

Nearly 66 species of sharksare known from the Indian seasof which only about 30 speciesare commercially important andout of these only a dozen speciesform the major components of thefishery.

Nearly two thirds of thelandings in India is accounted bythe west coast in which northwestregion dominates the landings.More than 80% of the landingsalong the east coast is accounted by the southeast region.

The all India production has declined from about 40,000 tonnes in 1982 toabout 25,000 tonnes in 1990. Consequently the landings have improved since 1992

t h o u g h t h e l a n d i n g s a r efluctuating around an annualaverage of about 40,000 tonnes.

In the northwest region thelandings are increasing withlarge inter annual variations,where as in southwest andnortheast region, the productionshow declining trend. Importants p e c i e s a r e Scoliodonlaticaudus, Rhizoprionodon

acutus, Carcharhynus sorrah, C.macloti, C.melanopterus, C.hemiodon, Eusphyrablochii and Sphyrna lewini


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 36 (2.4) 31 (1.6) 42 (1.8) 43 (1.7)





Major gears used Hooks & line, Gill net, Trawl netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

267

13. Rays

Although about 32 species ofRays are known from the Indianseas, only a dozen contribute tothe fishery with varying degree ofdominance in each region.

Maximum landings occuralong the southeast regionparticularly along the Tamil Naducoast followed by the northwestregion. Important species areDasyatis bleekeri, D. kuhlii,Hypolophus sephen

The all India landings declined from about 26,000 tonnes in 1983 to 16,000tonnes in 1992 and since then there was a revival in the landings reaching a peak of

27,000 tonnes in 1997. In thenorthwest region the landingsare fluctuating around 4,000tonnes annually since 1991.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 36 (2.4) 31 (1.6) 42 (1.8) 43 (1.7)





Major gears used Hooks & line, Bottom-set gill netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

268


14. Threadfin Breams

Among the five speciescontributing to the fishery, the twomost dominant species areNemipterus japonicus and N.mesoprion, while the former isdominant along the coasts ofAndhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,Gujarat and Kerala, the latter ismore so in Karnataka andMaharashtra.

M o r e t h a n 8 5 % o f t h e

production in India is accountedby the west coast. There is ageneral upward trend in the allIndia landings. The landingsalong the southwest regionexhibited large interannualvariations. There is spurt in thelandings along the northwestcoast, chiefly due to increasedl a n d i n g s i n G u j a r a t .Contrastingly, the landings in the

southeast region is showing downward trend since 1996.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 29 (1.9) 62 (3.3) 74 (3.2) 87 (3.4)






269

15. Catfishes

Nearly a dozen species ofcatfish are caught along the coastsof India and only five species areof importance from the fisheriespoint of view, namely Tachysurusthalassinus, T. serratus, T.tenuispinis and Osteogeneiosusmilitaris

Currently, the northwestregion contributes to the bulk ofthe landings, although prior toeighties the southwest region wasalso a significant contributor. The trend in all India landings showed a decline in

the landing upto 1996 andsubsequently there is an upwardtrend, chiefly due to increasedlandings. Similarly, in thesoutheast region also thelandings have been increasinggradually. Significantly, therehas been decline in the catfishlandings along the southwestcoast and in the recent years thelandings are very marginal.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 58 (3.9) 50 (2.6) 41 (1.8) 48 (1.9)





Major gears used Purse seine, Trawl net, Gill net, Dol netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

270


16. Croakers

The landings of sciaenidsc o n s i s t e d o f b o t h l a r g e rforms mainly represented byOtolithoides biauritus andProtonibea diacanthus and alarge number of smaller sciaenidswith more than ten speciessupporting the fishery.

Some of the smaller sciaenidsare Otolithes ruber, O. cuvieri,Johnius glaucus, J. carutta andJohnieops vogleri.

The nor thwes t r eg ionaccoun t s fo r bu lk o f thelandings. During the last twodecades, the landings have beenincreasing in this region and inrecent years the landings arefluctuating around 120,000tonnes annually. In all otherregions the landings have moreor less stabilized.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 96 (6.4) 10.8 (5.6) 168 (7.3) 174 (6.7)





Major gears used Trawl net, Bottom-set gill net, Bag netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

271

17. Silverbellies

The landings of silverbelliesconsist of multitude species,t h e s p e c i e s c o m p o s i t i o nd i f f e r i n g f r o m r e g i o n t oregion. Leiognathus bindus, L.brevirostris, L. splendens, L.d u s s u m i e r i , a n d Secutorinsidiator a re some of thedominant species of the landings.

The southern peninsular coastcontributes more than 90% of the

landings, more so the southeastregion particularly the TamilNadu coast.

The landings attained an alltime peak of 92,000 tonnes in1983 and thereafter showed adownward slide but reached apeak of about 70,000 in 1994.Since 1994, there was a gradualdeclining trend.

Average landings & percentage to the total landings

Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 69 (4.6) 61 (3.2) 60 (2.6) 58 (2.2)






Trends in Landings

272


18. Goatfishes

Eight species contributed tothe fishery along the differentregions of the Indian coast withvarying degree of dominance.The dominant spec ies a reUpeneus sulphureus, U. tragula,U. sundaicus, U.moluccensis, U.vittatus and U. taeniopterus.

More than 75% of the totallandings is accounted by thesouthern peninsular coast. The allIndia landings recorded thehighest landing of about 33,000 tonnes during 1991 and subsequently there was

drastic reduction in the landings.T h e l a n d i n g s a l o n g t h esouthwest region (chiefly Keralacoast) have recorded maximumof about 19,000 tonnes in 1991and subsequently suffered adrastic decline and in the recentyear the landings were onlymarginal. The landings alongthe other regions indicate ageneral increasing trend.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 5 (0.3) 18 (0.9) 17 (0.8) 15 (0.6)






273

19. Threadfins

The bu lk o f Threadf inlandings in India is constituted by(1) Eleutheronema tetradactylum(2) Polynemus indicus and (3) P.heptadactylus.

T h e n o r t h w e s t r e g i o nparticularly the Gujarat coastaccounts for the bulk of landingsin India followed by the southeastregion.

Although the landings exhibitupward trend there are wideinterannual variations, espe-cially so along the northwestregion. The landings along thesoutheast region are fluctuatingaround an annual average ofabout 1900 tonnes.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 7 (0.5) 7 (0.4) 8 (0.4) 9 (0.4)






Trends in Landings

274


20. Rock cods

Three spec ies namely ,Epinephelus diacanthus, E.tauvina and E. areolatus formbulk of the landings of which thefirst species dominates in the westcoast and the other two speciesa long the sou theas t coas tparticularly along the TamilNadu.

M o r e t h a n 7 0 % o f t h elandings is accounted by the westcoast followed by the southeastcoast. The all India landings have been increasing over the years with a spurt in

2000 mainly due to heavylandings along the northwestcoast. The landings in thesouthern peninsular coastappears to have been stabilized.The overall increase in thelandings of groupers over theyears could be attributed toincreased fishing operations inthe deeper waters.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 3 (0.2) 5 (0.2) 10 (0.4) 18 (0.7)





Major gears used Hooks & line, Bag net, Trawl netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

275

21. Flatfishes

The landings of flatfishescomprised of halibut, floundersand soles, and more than 95%b e i n g c o n t r i b u t e d b y t h esoles. Dominant species areCynoglossus macrostomus, C.macrolepidotus and Psettodeserumei. Nearly 85% of thelandings accounted by the westcoast of which the southwestregion comprising Kerala,Karnataka and Goa dominated.Bulk of the landings in east coast occurs in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Thelandings showed wide interannual variations along the southwest coast reaching an

all time high of about 46,000tonnes in 1992. The landings inthe northwest region has beenfluctuating around 15,000tonnes annually.

F l a t f i s h e s a r e l a n d e dthroughout the year. During pre-monsoon and post-monsoonthese resources are available inthe inshore grounds in fairlygood concentration.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 27 (1.8) 30 (1.6) 46 (2.0) 48 (1.9)






Trends in Landings

276


22. Big-jawed jumper

The big-jawed jumper (FalseTrevelly or whitefish) landingsare contributed by a single speciesLactarius lactarius.

Its abundance is more in thewest coast, especially so along thenorthwest coast. The landingshave declined to about 7,000tonnes from the peak landings ofabout 25,000 tonnes in 1985.During the past decade the

landings are fluctuating around7 ,000 tonnes wi th minorinterannual variation.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 16 (1.1) 11 (0.6) 7 (0.3) 7 (0.3)


Potential yield (2000) NA Current yield (2001) 5




277


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 113 (7.5) 152 (8.0) 192 (8.4) 199 (7.7)





Major gears used Trawl net, Dol net, Trammel netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

23. Penaeid Shrimps

The landings of penaeidshrimps comprise multiplicityo f s p e c i e s a m o n g w h i c hP a r a p e n a e o p s i s s t y l i f e r a ,M e t a p e n a e u s d o b s o n i , M .monoceros, M. affinis, Solenoceracrassicornis and Penaeus indicusare predominant.

The penaeid shrimps arelanded throughout the year withlesser in tens i ty dur ing themonsoon period along the westcoast.

More than 75% of thelandings in India are observedalong the west coast dominatedby the northwest region alongthe coasts of Maharashtra andGujarat. The trend in thelandings in the west coastexhibited wide interannualvariation. In the southeastregion, the landings seemed tohave reached the asymptoticlevel.

278


24. Non-penaeid Prawns

The most abundant species areAcetes spp., Nematopalaemontenuipes and Exhippolysmataensirostris.

Along the northwest coast thefishery has two peaks one duringOctober-November and otherduring April-May. In the southeastregion along the coast of AndhraPradesh peak landings take placeduring July-September.

More than 90% of the landingsoccur in the northwest region, Gujarat recording the higher landings. They also

form a fishery in the northeastregion along the West Bengalcoast and in the southeast regionalong the coast of AndhraPradesh.

Since bulk of the landings isfrom the northwest coast, theproduction from this regiondetermines the all India trend.There was a significant increasein the landings during the last

twenty years reaching an all time high of about 174,000 tonnes in 1998. Since thenthe landings showed a declining trend.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 58 (3.9) 62 (3.2) 82 (3.6) 146 (5.7)





Major gears used Trawl net, Dol netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

279

25. Crabs

The crab resource landingsare supported by multi-speciesstocks, dominated by Portunuspelagicus and P. sanguinolentus.The other important constituentsa r e Charybdis fer ia tus C.annulata, Scylla tranquebaricaand Podophthalmus vigil.

The trend of landings alongthe northwest coast exhibits largeinterannual variation. Along thesoutheast, the landings exhibiteda general increasing trend with indications of levelling off in the recent years.

Regions of nor thwest ,predominantly the Gujarat coastand that of the southeast ,mainly off Tamil Nadu, are moreproductive areas.

O v e r a l l t h e r e w a s a nincrease in the landing duringthe last two decades and in therecent years the landings showedlarge interannual variations.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 24 (1.6) 20 (1.1) 29 (1.3) 37 (1.4)





Major gears used Trawl net, Bottom-set gill netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

280


26. Lobsters

Out of the nine species ofspiny lobsters (Palinuridae)distributed along the coast onlyfour are commercially exploited.Among the eight species ofslipper lobsters (Scyllaridae) onlyone species is reported in thecommercial landings. Importantspecies are Panulirus homarus,P .orna tus , P .pen ic i l l a tus ,P.polyphagus, P. versicolor andPuerulus sewelli.

The post monsoon was observed to be the peak period of landing in the northwestand southwest region. Whereas in the southeast region peak landings were reportedduring the early months of the year.

More than 75% of thelandings take place in thenorthwest region (more so alongthe Gujarat coast) followed bythe southwest coast (especiallyalong Kerala). Bulk of thelandings in the east coast is onlyreported from the southeastregion particularly along theTamil Nadu coast.

Heavy demand and high price for lobsters in the international markets haveinduced increased exploitation. However, the recent trends in the indicate thatthere will not be significant increase in the landings from the presently exploitedregions.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 2.4 (0.2) 2.1 (0.1) 2.1 (0.1) 2.5 (0.1)

Minimum and maximum landings 1.3 (1983) 4.1 (1985)

Potential yield (2000) NA Current yield (2001) 1.4



Major gears used Trawl net, Bottom-set gill netNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

281

27. Cephalopods

The exploited cephalopodresources mainly comprisesquids, cuttlefishes and octopods.Among the squids, the nereticIndian squid, Loligo duvauceliformed the bulk of the landings.Among cuttle fishes, Sepiaaculeata and S. pharaonis for-med the major components of thelandings. Among octopus,Octopus membranaceous and O.dollfusi dominated the landingsalong the west coast.

Peak catch rates of cephalopods along the west coast were observed duringpremonsoon and postmonsoonperiods. Along the east coast thepremonsoon and monsoonperiods were more productive.More than 80% of the landingsof cephalopods take place in thewest coast. The northwest regioncomprising the states of Gujaratand Maharashtra accounted forbulk of the landings.

The recent trends indicatethat production had reached asymptotic level in the most productive regions.


Period 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-2000

Average and (%) 19 (1.3) 45 (2.3) 97 (4.2) 106 (4.1)





Major gears used Trawl net, Hooks & lineNote: Landings and yield in thousand tonnes

Trends in Landings

282


28. Sectoral trends

All India

Among the different gears, drift and set gill nets and bag nets of varied meshsizes are widely used along the east and west coasts while ring seines, purse seinesand mechanised gill nets are confined to the southwest coast. Trawlers upto 11 mOAL are operated along the entire coast, while the second-generation large trawlers(13-17m) are employed from selected harbours along both the coasts. The share ofmechanised sector to the total landings increased from 20% in 1969 to 67% during

the year 2000. The landingsfrom mechanised sectorincreased from about 1.8 lakhtonnes in 1969 to 17.9 lakhtonnes in the year 2000. Themoto r i sed f i sh ing c ra f taccounted for 25% of the totallandings in India. The landingsby this sector have increasedfrom about 1.3 lakh tonnes in1985 to 6.6 lakh tonnes in theyear 2000. The unit-operations

by the mechanised craft during the last 15 years has been fluctuating around 3.05million operations annually. However, the unit operations by the motorised sectorhave significantly increased from about 0.94 million unit operations in 1986 toabout 5.52 million in the year 2000. The constancy in the unit operations by themechanised sector does not however imply that the fishing activity has remainedconstant over the years. The amount of time expended for actual fishing by thissector has almost doubledduring the last 15 years raisingfrom about 17.4 million hoursduring 1986 to 33.5 millionhours during the year 2000. Thiswas mainly due to introductionand increase in voyage fishingactivity by this sector in all themaritime states of India. In themotorised sector not only hasthere been increase in the unitoperations but also in the fishinghours from about 3.3 millionhours in 1986 to about 23 million hours during the year 2000. Consequent to thegrowth in these sectors, the purely artisanal sector has gradually been marginalizedover the years.

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Northeast

T h e l a n d i n g s b ymechanized units operating thegill net, trawl and bag netaccount for the bulk of theproduction followed by thecontributions from motorisedunits that engage gill net andhooks & lines.

The annual landings frommechanized sector in thenortheast region have increased from 32,000 tonnes in 1981 to 84,000 tonnes in2000 with a peak of 1,28,000 tonnes during 1993. The CPU (Catch per Unit) hasincreased from about 332 kg in 1991 to 558 kg in 2000. The CPH (Catch per Hour)has been fluctuating around 30 kg annually. The landings by the motorised craft(outboard) has increased from 2,000 tonnes in 1989 to about 42,000 tonnes in 2000.The CPU has increased from 24 kg in 1991 to 114 kg in 2000. The CPH during thelast five years has been increasing from 7.8 kg in 1996 to 25 kg in 2000, chiefly dueto higher catch rates observed in West Bengal.

It was observed that the unit operations of the trawlers in a year had declinedfrom about 1,12,000 during 1993 to about 38,000 during 2000. Similarly, the unitoperations of the mechanised gill-netters decreased from 1,18,000 to 68,000

dur ing the same pe r iod .However, in tune with increasedmotorization of indigenouscraft, unit operations of moto-rised boats (operating gill nets)had increased from 10,000 to2,82,000 in a year.

Southeast

The significant feature of thefishery along the southeastregion has been the phenominalincrease in the landings by the

motorised craft. Landings by gill nets and hooks and lines form the bulk of landingsby motorized units. The landings increased from a meagre 600 tonnes in 1989 to1.64 lakh tonnes in 2000, chiefly through enhanced operations along the TamilNadu coast. The CPU has increased from about 43 kg in 1989 to 62 kg in 2000 witha peak of 85 kg in 1992. The CPH has also increased from 7 kg in 1989 to 16 kg in2000. During the last three years, both the CPU and CPH got more or less stabilizedaround 60 kg and 16 kg respectively.

Trends in Landings

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The landings by mechanisedcraft increased from 1.34 lakhtonnes in 1981 to 2.54 lakhtonnes in 2000 with a peak of 4lakh tonnes in 1997. More than90% landings is by the trawlers.In the recent years a decline inthe landings was noticed alongthe Tamil Nadu coast. The CPUduring 1992-97 has beenaround 300 kg annually whichhas declined to about 260 kg inthe recent years. The CPH has,however, been gradually declining from about 36 kg in 1990 to 22 kg in 2000. Thisdeclining trend was noticed uniformly along the constituent states of the region.

The unit operations by the trawlers, of Andhra Pradesh varied from 98,000 duringthe year 1991 to 1,15,000 during 2000, with an annual average of about 1,03,000unit operations. However, the actual time spent for fishing for unit operationsincreased from 18 hours during 1991 to 36 hours during 2000. Along the TamilNadu coast, the unit operations by the trawlers increased from 4,71,000 in 1991 to5,18,000 in 2000. The fishing time spent per unit operation increased from 10 to 14hours during the same period.

Southwest

The catches by trawlers and purse seiners account for bulk of the mechanisedlandings along the southwest region. The landings have increased from 2.6 lakhtonnes in 1991 to about 4.6 lakh tonnes in 2000 with a peak of 5.8 lakh tonnes in1989. During the last five years the landings have stabilized. However, along theKerala coast, a declining trend was observed since 1994. The CPU has beenfluctuating between 483 kg to 685 kg during 1991-2000. However, the CPH has

been gradually declining fromabout 114 kg in 1991 to 62 kgin 2000. The catches from thering seines, gill nets and boatseines form the bulk of landingsby motorised craft and morethan 95% of the landings takeplace along the Kerala coast.T h e C P U h a d s h o w n adeclining trend from about 249kg in 1992 to 135 kg in 1998and recovered to 224 kg in2000 main ly because of

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increased pelagic fish landings along the Kerala coast. The CPH also exhibited asimilar trend from 62 kg in 1992 to 36 kg in 1998 latter increasing to 68 kg in 2000.

The unit operations by trawlers during the year did not vary significantly during1991-2000 in Kerala. It fluctuated around an annual average of about 5,61,000,whereas the actual fishing time per unit operation increased from 5 to 10 hours. InKarnataka, the unit operations declined from 20,95,000 during 1991 to 1,39,000 inthe year 2000. However, the fishing time spent per unit operation increased from 10hours to 19 hours during the same period. Regarding the ring seine unit operations,there were no significant inter annual variations in both Kerala and Karnataka andthey fluctuated around 239 and 10,000 unit operations respectively. In Kerala, theeffort expended by motorised craft employing the gill nets and trawl nets had doubledsince 1989, whereas in Karnataka gill net operations by the motorised craft witnesseda four fold increase since 1989.

Northwest

More than 85% of total landings along the northwest region is accounted by themechanised sector. The catches from trawlers, Dol nets and purse seines (only alongMaharashtra coast) form the bulk of the landings. The landings have increased from4.6 lakh tonnes in 1981 to 9.6 lakh tonnes in 2000 attaining a peak of 10.5 lakhtonnes in 1998. This increasewas due to increased landingsalong the Gujarat coast. Alongthe Maharashtra coast, thelandings have been fluctuatingaround an annual average ofabout 3.3. lakh tonnes. The CPUhas been fluctuating from 797kg in 1991 to 1168 kg in 2000.The CPH, however, has beenobserved to decline from 98 kgin 1992 to 71 kg in 1999.

In Maharashtra the unitoperations of dol net per year declined during 1989 to 1994 and since 1995 theywere steadily increasing. Similarly the purseseine unit operations had increasedfrom about 8,000 in 1989 to 18,000 in 1998.

In Gujarat, there was no significant variations over the years with respect to dol netoperations. The unit operation of motorised craft employing gill nets had been graduallyincreasing in Gujarat from about 1,80,000 in 1990 to 5,09,000 in 2000. In Maharashtra,the unit operations of trawlers had increased from 1,71,000 to 2,44,000 in 2000 with apeak of 4,81,000 in 1998. However, the actual fishing time per unit operation observedan increase to about 19 hours in 2000 from 16 hours in 1991.

Trends in Landings

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