Marine Water Fisheries

Marine Water Fisheries

1. Indian Oil-sardine Fishery
2. Mackerel Fishery
3. Bombay-Duck Fishery
4. Sole Fishery:
5. Ribbon fish fishery

X X

1. Indian Oil-sardine Fishery:

The Indian oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Sardinella. It is one of the two most important commercial fishes in India

Scientific classification:

Kingdom:     Animalia
Phylum:        Chordata
Super Class: Pisces
Class:             Actinopterygii
Order:           Clupeiformes
Family:          Clupeidae
Genus:           Sardinella
Species:         S. longiceps

According to these tests, the average lengths for each ring were 14.3, 16.4, and 18.4 cm at the age of one, two, and three years, respectively.

The distribution of the fish throughout the spawning season is determined by the size and age of the fish. Many of the oldest, most mature adults between 17 and 19 cm spawn early in the season, while the juveniles of S. longiceps arrive to spawn later in the season. The peak period for commercial catch is June and July, when the juvenile fish have fattened themselves to prepare for their first spawning season. 

Sardines, Sardinella spp., are one of the several clupeids (anchovies) Thrissocles, white bait, Anchoviella, rainbow sardines, Dussumeria, white sardines, Kowala etc.) found in coastal waters, but these are commercially the most important ones. There are in all ten species of sardines, represented by S. albella, S. gibbosa, S. dayi. S. clupeoldes. S. fimbriata, S. longiceps, S. melanura, S. perforata, S. sindensis and S. sirm. However, four species namely S. longiceps, S. fimbriata, S. gibbosa and S. albella support commercial fisheries of considerable importance on the west coast and southeast coast of India, constituting about 30% of total marine catches. The oil sardine, S.longiceps, (figure 3.4) is by far the most important and is highly valued for reasons of its abundance, food value and industrial use.

The oil sardines are abundantly distributed along the west coast of India; Malabar coast is especially rich, and large shoals appear along the coast from Ratnagiri to Quilon. The fish attains sexual maturity in the second year when it measures 16 cms in length. The fish is a phytoplankton feeder of surface waters, showing a preference, especially in the juvenile stage, for the diatom Fragilaria oceanica. A close correlation is found between the abundance of this diatom and that of the oil sardine. The fish confines itself to the coastal belt within 50 m. depth in maximum abundance, and its fishing is accordingly restricted to this zone. Sardines are known to spawn only once in their life time a span of three years. Spawning occurs from June to August. The spawning ground is not known. Age group O measures about 4 to 5 cm in length. The growth is very fast in the first year by the end of which the fish has attained a size of 15 to 16 cm. Thereafter growth slows down considerably. Females grow faster than males. Maximum length attained is about 21 cm in the third year.

Oil sardine fishery exists as a commercially important regular fishery all along the west coast of India. On the east coast the fishery is of a sporadic nature, highly irregular and of no major importance. Kerala coast offers the richest waters for oil sardine fishing. Mysore coast ranks only next to Kerala coast. However, the entire stretch of coastal waters from Ratnagiri to Quilon offers lucrative fishing grounds, and large shoals of oil sardines move into these waters. Fishing starts in July following the commencement of the southwest monsoon. Landings are maximum during the period October to December, moderate during January to March and poor during the rest of the year. The total catch of oil sardines constitutes from 1% to 30% of the total annual marine landings, depending upon whether the year was a poor or a good one. The Kerala coast alone offers an annual landing ranging from 37% (about 4000 tonnes) in the poorest year (as in 1956) to 90% (about 300000 tonnes) in the best year (as in 1968) of the total oil sardine annual landings from Indian waters. Catches are composed of mostly juveniles in the size group of 12 to 15 cm length during the peak periods i.e. from October to December. But the catches made during the postmonsoon period i.e. from August to October generally include large sized individuals in advanced stages of maturity. Maximum size reported is 21 cm. Catches generally show a preponderance of females. In some years, the catches are composed of mostly O-year group, in the size ranges of 4 to 5 cm, during the postmonsoon period.

The fishing is restricted to within 50 m. of coastal water. The fishing gears commonly used are seines and gilling nets. Very large shore seine are needed to catch moving shoals. Traditional seines are Thanu vala and Chala vala. Purse seine has been introduced recently off Cochin by the Indo-Norwegian Project. Shoals of oil sardines first appear around Calicut and thereafter, in succession, their appearance continues. The shoals move northwards. Thus the length of time during which fishing is undertaken diminishes from south to north region.

The landing being enormous, and, the oil sardines being highly perishable, a greater part is preserved. Only a fraction of the landing is consumed in the fresh state for food. Of the preserved fish, cured (salted) and canned may be consumed, but the bulk of cured fish is sent to factories for the manufacture of Sardine oil, guano and meal. The annual income from oil sard ines is estimated at Rs. 25 crores in recent years.

X X

Fluctuations in Oil Sardine Fishery from year to year:

A very striking feature of the oil sardine fishery is the large scale fluctuations shown in the landings from year to year. As stated above, the poorest year may give as low a catch as 1% of the total annual marine landing and the best year as high as 30%. A survey of the past would reveal that no regularity or periodicity is shown in the fluctuation. There could be period of continuous good years (1922-1926: 1933-37; 1964-70) or Individual good years (1940-41, 1957-58, 1968) alternating with period of continuous poor years (1950-56) or single bad years (1908-09: 1911-12: 1914-15; 1918-19). in between. The unpredictable nature of this fishery has been the cause of serious damage to fishing industry in the past. Some 600 factories producing guano oll had to be abandoned in Malabar region in the years following 1926, for example.

X X

Utilization:

Oil sardines undergo decomposition very soon; rancidity sets in very fast. This restricts use of fish as food either in fresh or cured state. Greater portion of the landing is salted. The fish is also canned in small proportions. The principal utilization of oil sardines, however, is in extraction of their body oil. The landings are fed to coastal industries which manufacture body oil. The oil finds usage in seasoning of the wood of fishing boats, in manufacture of soaps and in processing of jute and leather. The raw material, after extraction of oil, is used for production of fish meal and fish guano which form important cattle feed and manure for coconut, tea and coffee.

X X

2. Mackerel Fishery:

The Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) is a species of mackerel in the scombrid family.

Scientific classification:

Kingdom:     Animalia
Phylum:        Chordata
Super Class: Pisces
Class:             Actinopterygii
Order:            Scombriformes
Suborder:      Scombroidei
Family:           Scombridae
Subfamily:     Scombrinae
Genus:            Rastrelliger
Species:          R. kanagurta

It is known by various names such as Pelaling in Malaysia and Indonesia,Bangdo in Konkani language, Bangdi in Gujarati, Bangda in Marathi, Kajol Gouri in Bengali, Ayla in Malayalam, Kankarta in Odia, Kaanankeluthi in Tamil and Bangude in Tulu, and Kannada.

Mackerel fishery is, besides the oil sardines, the next most important marine fishery of Indian inshore waters. The fishery constitutes about 20% of the total marine catches, on an average. Although some fishery exists on the east coast also along the Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Orissa coasts, the major fishery occurs at the west coast which contributes to 98% of the total landings of mackerels.

Only a single species of mackerel. Rastrelliger kanagurta (Scomber microlepidotus) supports the mackerel fishery. This species is found throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans. It attains about 25 cm in length and about 4.5 kg. in weight. It is pelagic and planktophagus, feeding mostly on both zooplankton and phytoplankton. The rich plankton crop of the inshore waters, following the monsoon, attract the mackerels from off shore, and these move in large shoals shorewards. The shoals of mackerels are easily identified and located even from a distance. During the day time the shoals, appearing as patches.

Example,Scomber microlepidotus are dark with ripples, while at night these patches emit a phosphorescent glow. Generally the shoals are composed of large numbers of individuals belonging to the same age group and consequently having same size. The feeding intensity increases with maturity, and it is low in both juveniles as well as spawners. The fish measures 10 cm in the first year, but attains 18 cm at the end of the second year. The fish attains 22.4 cm at the first spawning. No sexual dimorphism occurs. Spawning occurs in succession: starting from April it lasts upto September. It is thought that the spawning grounds are located not far away from the southern coast, off Trivandrum. Eggs and larvae are probably both pelagic.

The mackerel fishery assumes great importance on the west-coast between Ratnagiri and Quilon; the principal fishing centres being Ratnagiri, Malvan, Goa, Karwar, Malpe, Tellicherry. Kozhikode, Cochin and Alleppey. Maximum fishing intensity occurs in Malabar in the region between Mangalore to Ponnani river mouth where landings are very high. High fishing intensity also exists in Konkan and Canara, but it is rather poor in Southern Malabar from Ponnani river mouth to Cape Comorin. Fishing continues from August to April. The fishing crafts used include boats with out-rigger (Pandi, Hodi) and dugout canoes. The gears used include boat seine (Odam vala, pathu vala, Kolli vala), shore seine (rampani), drift net (Pettle bale). gill net (ayila chela vala). cast net (Pag) etc. The catches are mostly composed of juveniles and immature individuals measuring from 16 to 18 cm.

Mackerel fishery also suffers from marked fluctuations in landings from year to year. For instance, during the period 1950 1970, landing were heavy in periods 1950-51, 1957-60, 1963, and then in 1969-70. but were substantially poor in periods in between. The causes of this fluctuation could be several, such as, late onset of monsoon, hydrobiological changes in the coastal waters especially those affecting plankton of the inshore waters. and relative abundance of oil sardines which are the potent competitors of mackerels on the planktonic food. It is well known that a good year for oil sardine fishery is a bad year for mackerel fishery and vice versa. Obviously the common food shared between the two is the determining factor. The magnitude of the fluctuation in mackerel fishery is apparent from the fact that the annual catches range from 2% to 20% of the total annual marine landings, from year to year.

Depending upon the transport facilities available, a portion of the mackerel landings is diverted from the fishing centres to local and Bombay markets for consumption in fresh state. About half the landing finds way to curing yards. Mackerels are salt cured, pickled, smoked or canned. In the years of bumper landings, mackerels are used for production of fish meal for cattle or poultry use, and for manufacture of fish guano for use in coconut, coffee and tea plantations as manure.

X X

3. Bombay-Duck Fishery: 

X X

Distribution of fisheries:

The Bombay duck lives in the tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific. The fish is also known as "strange fish"[citation needed] because of its discontinuous distribution along the Indian coast. It has been traditionally caught in the waters off Maharashtra, Gujarat in the Lakshadweep Sea, where it is an important item of the yearly catch. This fish is also caught in the Bay of Bengal and in the South China Sea, although in smaller numbers.

The Bombay-duck fishery is more or less a local fishery of commercial importance of the Bombay coast from Ratnagiri to Broach. Here the fishery is a single species fishery of Harpodon nehereus . Together with other lizard fishes, Saurida spp., it may constitute from 2% to 7% of the total annual marine landings. These fishes are distributed throughout the west and east coast, but over 90% of the total catch is landed from Bombay coast alone.

Dried Bombay duck for sale in a fish market, Maharashtra

Harpodon nehereus attains a length of 33 cm. It is estuarine and carnivorous, feeding chiefly on prawns. It breeds throughout the year with two peak spawning periods. The spawning ground seems to lie in off shore waters, since eggs and larvae are never found in the inshore waters. The species is also migratory. It leaves coastal waters in February-March, and re-enters in October when large shoals appear in the inshore waters.

Harpodon nehereus:

Scientific classification

Kingdom:      Animalia
Phylum:        Chordata
Super Class: Pisces
Class:             Actinopterygii
Order:           Aulopiformes
Family:          Synodontidae
Genus:           Harpadon
Species:         H. nehereus

Harpadon nehereus, called the Bombay duck, bummalo, bombil, bombili, boomla, lote, loitta is a species of lizardfish. Adults may reach a maximum length of 40 cm (16 in), but the usual size is around 25 cm (10 in).

Fishing is started just after the close of southwest monsoon, often in the end of September. Fishing is continued upto January with intensity unabated. However, it may be continued even upto March. The fishing gear used is bag net, called 'dol'.

About 20% of the landing is marketted in the fresh condition and consumed as food locally. The remaining 80% is sun-dried by hanging on bamboo rods or ropes held on poles.

International Availability:

At one time, 13 tonnes of Bombay duck were eaten in the UK each year. Following the discovery of a batch of imported seafood contaminated by Salmonella in 1996, the European Commission (EC) prohibited fish imports from India other than from approved freezing and canning factories.

X X

4. Sole Fishery:

The common sole, Dover sole, or black sole (Solea solea) is a species of flatfish in the family Soleidae. It is one of the largest fish in the Solea genus. It lives on the sandy or muddy seabed of the northern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea where it often semi-immerses itself in the substrate.

Scientific classification

Kingdom:      Animalia
Phylum:         Chordata
Super Class:  Pisces
Class:              Actinopterygii
Order:      Pleuronectiformes
Family:           Soleidae
Genus:            Solea
Species:           S. solea

Soles, also called flat fishes, support an important fishery of local importance along the west coast. Whereas the soles comprise a number of species belonging to Solea. Pseudorhombus, Bothus, Psettodes, Poecilopsetta, Paraplagusia and Cynoglossus, the species of Cynoglossus are commercially the most important. Cynoglossus dubius, C. semifasciatus, C. puncticeps. C. lida, and C.bilineatus are the major species. C. semifasciatus is the most important of these and it supports a commercially.

The Dover sole reaches maturity at 3–5 years old, at which point they can begin to reproduce. Spawning usually occurs between February and May but in warmer areas it can also occur at the beginning of winter.

X X

Cynoglossus semifasciatus

Significant fishery between South Kanara and Kerala; the chief fishing centres being Baikampady, Ullal. Kanhangad, Hosdurg, Cannanore, Tellichery, Quilandy. Kozhikode, Chowghat, Ponnani, Narakkal and Alleppey-Purakkad. On the east coast, some fishery exists near Vishakahapatnam.

C. semifasciatus attains a size of 17 cm whereas C. dubius a size from 25 to 45 cm. Soles are bottom feeders, consuming a variety of bottom organisms, such as polychaete worms. crustaceans and bivalve molluscs. Spawning occurs during monsoon. Eggs are pelagic and start appearing in the plankton from October. Larvae metamorphose to become adult-like young ones which appear from January. The southwest monsoon which disturbs the bottom and its mud banks due to its stormy character, causes dislocation of not only benthic organisms but also of the soles which disappear from inshore waters with the onset of the monsoon. Soles reappear in the inshore waters after the monsoon is over, and now they appear in large shoals. The shoals appear rather suddenly at the surface or in the mid-water and move shorewards. The maximum fishing intensity occurs now-the first few weeks of the commencing season of sole fishery. The greater portion of the total annual catch is landed during this short period between August to September, depending upon the time when the monsoon ends. In the remaining part of the year, soles appear in moderate quantities in catches landed by boat-seines.

The fishing gears employed to capture soles include boat-seine (paithu vala), shore-seine (noona vala) and cast-net (veechu vala), commonly used in Malabar, Narakkal and Kanara respectively. For boat-seines dugout canoes are used, whereas the cast net is operated from canoes. The area of operation is generally limited to within the 13 m depth, close to the shore. The catches, during the peak periods, are composed of individuals of 10 to 13 cm size group. Catches made later on in October November period are mostly of spawners. Thereafter from January onwards until the next monsoon the catches are composed of small, young ones.

Soles are seldom consumed in fresh condition. These are generally cured or sun-dried and such products find a comfortable market. Mostly people of low income use soles. However, when weather conditions are not favourable owing to intermittent rains and poor sun shine, the catches are used as manure.

X X

5. Ribbon fish fishery:

The largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) or beltfish is a member of the cutlassfish family, Trichiuridae. This common to abundant species is found in tropical and temperate oceans throughout the world.

Scientific classification

Kingdom:      Animalia
Phylum:        Chordata
Super Class: Pisces
Class:             Actinopterygii
Order:           Scombriformes
Family:          Trichiuridae
Genus:           Trichiurus
Species:         T. lepturus

Ribbon fish fishery is also a fishery of local importance. It is a major fishery of the coast of Tamil Nadu which contributes about 50% of the total annual landing of this fish. Other centre include the coast of Andra Pradesh and Orissa on the east coast. and the coast of Kerala, Konkan and Bombay, on the west coast. Ribbon fishes are represented in Indian waters by three marine species of commercial importance. Trichiurus haumela (syn. T. lepturus). T. savala (syn. Lepturacanthus savata). T. muticus (syn. Eupleurogrammus muticus) (Recently two estuarine species T gangeticus and T. pantulli have also been recorded from Hooghly). On the east coast, T. haumela is the predominant species at the Madras coast, T. savala is more common in Andhra and Orissa coasts and T. muticus is common in Palk strait and Gulf of Manaar. On the west coast, T. haumela and T. savala occur at Kerala, Konkan and Bombay coasts. Ribbon fishes, also known as hair tails, are large measuring from 16 to 80 cm. They are shoaling species, appearing in inshore waters from June to October. Spawning occurs once a year in off-shore waters where they stay for a very brief period before June. Ribbon fishes support only a seasonal fishery but of great magnitude. During the peak periods the landings of ribbon fishes alone constitute about 50% of the total landing of marine fish made during this period, running into 15 to 50 thousand tons of ribbon fish. The total ribbon fish catches from the two coasts make up from 3% to 6% of the total annual marine catches. The individuals in the catches generally range between 25 to 75 cm. Fishing season, however, may continue from July to March. Fishing gears used include seines (Pedda valai, vella valai etc.) on the east coast and west coast. Cast net and shore seine are also used on the west coast.

Ribbon fishes are sun-dried. Owing to the ribbon-shape, the fishes are easily and thoroughly dried. 

Fisheries and use:

Largehead hairtail is a major commercial species. With reported landings of more than 1.3 million tonnes in 2009 it was the sixth most important captured fish species. The species is caught throughout much of its range, typically by bottom trawls or beach seines, but also using a wide range of other methods. In 2009, by far the largest catches (1.2 million tonnes) were reported by China and Taiwan from the Northwest Pacific (FAO Fishing Area 61). The next largest catches were reported from South Korea, Japan, and Pakistan.

X X

View, Comments and share...