Fishery and Exploitation of Malabar Grouper, Epinephelus malabaricus (Bloch & Schneider 1801) from Andaman Islands

The fishery and population dynamics of groupers from Andaman Islands were studied from Jan 2010 to Dec 2011 with a special emphasis on Malabar grouper, Epinephelus malabaricus (Bloch & Schneider 1801). The average annual catch of Malabar grouper was 1,296 tonnes contributing to 21.6% of annual grouper landings. Length-weight relationship of Malabar grouper showed that growth was allometric (b=2.96) and relative condition factor (Kn) was 1 and the growth parameters viz., L∞, K and t0 were 124.60 cm, 0.80 and -0.05 respectively. The recruitment pattern was unimodal with one major peak during April to July throughout the study period. The natural mortality (M), fishing mortality (F) and total mortality (Z) were 1.05, 1.48 and 2.53 respectively and exploitation rate (E) was 0.58. The M/K ratio (1.31) was found to be well within the normal range of 1to 2.5. Catch per unit effort varied from 4 to16.5 kg.h-1. The maximum sustainable yield (MSY) was 1,107 tonnes which was lower than the average annual catch (1,296 tonnes), indicating over exploitation. The current study calls for further research in identifying the grouper fishing and spawning aggregation grounds and introduce measures for reducing fishing efforts with input and output controls to sustain the Malabar grouper fishery in Andaman waters

Impact evaluation of marine fisheries interventions among Tribal Fisher Commune of Car Nicobar Island, India

Fisheries and tourism are two important sectors that provide livelihood and employment in the tropical Islands. Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands is a biodiversity hotspot in the Bay of Bengal inhabited by settler population along with indigenous tribal communities. The Nicobar tribal community is one among occupying the Nicobar group of Islands in the majority and are quite socialized tribal communities of the Islands. Agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries are the major sectors that contribute to the livelihood and nutritional security of the Nicobar tribes. Traditional fishing activities have been a part of their culture over the years however, tribal youths were reluctant in taking up fishing as a profession considering the changing scenario and alternative employment options. To reinstate fisheries as a profession and to improve their livelihood and employment opportunities, interventions were carried out in Car Nicobar Island. The interventions were mainly aimed towards increasing fish catches, to expand their fishing grounds and to sensitize safe fishing and navigation practices. Fishing inputs such as modern fishing boats, GPS and outboard engines were provided as inputs to tribal fishers based on the outcome of an expert consultation meeting. Structured questionnaires were prepared to analyze the impact of the interventions. The results indicated that the interventions led to a significant improvement (p <0.001) in the expansion of their fishing grounds (3.47 ± 0.2 km), reduced time spent to reach the fishing grounds (2.3 ± 0.25 hour) and increased catch per unit effort (7.93 ± 1.23 kg/boat). This study shows that the targeted interventions coupled with awareness and sensitization programmes could make fishing activities profitable, attractive and can motivate the unemployed youths to opt for fishing as a profession

Efficacy of different modes in disseminating Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) forecasts - a case study from Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Potential Fishing Zone forecasts based on Indian Remote Sensing satellite P4 Ocean Colour Monitor derived chlorophyll concentration and National Oceanographic Aerospace Administration-Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer derived sea surface temperature were disseminated through different modes viz., Digital display boards, e-mail, telephoning/text messaging, radio, community networking and distribution of print-outs in person to the targeted fishermen and the efficacy was tested. Profound reach of technology dissemination was observed in telephoning/text messaging with an average of 72 users per forecast. Printouts of PFZ maps were distributed to an average of 35 fishermen/boat-masters in person. Digital Display Boards were viewed by 30 fishermen per forecast. E-mail message containing PFZ forecasts were sent to regional fisheries sub-stations of remote islands and it was inferred that an average of 15 fishermen per forecasts were benefitted. Further, PFZ messages were transmitted through All India Radio and Agromet Field Unit for extensive reach all along the inhabited islands. Since the validity period of PFZ forecasts is limited to 2-3 days, near real-time dissemination through telephoning/text messaging was found as an optimal tool for efficient utilisation. Field level constraints in different dissemination modes are illustrated in the paper

Impact of Coastal Pollution on Microbial and Mineral Profile of Edible Oyster (Crassostrea rivularis) in the Coastal Waters of Andaman

The impact of coastal pollution was studied using edible oysters, Crassostrea rivularis as an indicator at two sites viz., North Wandoor (NW) and Phoenix Jetty (PJ) in Port Blair, Andaman. The hydrographic parameters showed that nitrite, nitrate and phosphate concentration were less and dissolved oxygen were more at NW compared to PJ. The oysters were collected from the study sites and biochemical, microbial, mineral profiles and ATPase activities were estimated. ATPase activity was inhibited in the gill tissue of oysters (p\0.05) of PJ sample. Total microbial load in the water and oyster, and coliform bacteria (MPN) in the water were significantly (p\0.05) higher at PJ compared to the NW. There was no significant difference (p[0.05) in the mineral profile of water collected from both the sites. However, calcium and magnesium were more in the oysters collected from NW (p\0.05), and Cu, Zn and Cd were more in PJ samples (p\0.05)

Fisheries governance in the tropical archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar – opinions and strategies for sustainable management

Globally, marine fisheries sector provides livelihood, food security and employment to the fishers engaged in subsistence, artisanal and industrial fishing activities. The dependency on marine fish supplies keeps rising globally leading to intense competition, fishery conflicts and unsustainable fishing practices which threatens the sustainability and leading to the depletion of marine fishery resources. Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) in India is a tropical archipelago cited as an example where marine fishery resources were considered to be highly underutilized vis-a-vis the harvestable potential

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Not AvailableSince Burton & Davie revised the monotypic genus Thenus, the genus is represented by two species in Mainland India, Thenus unimaculatus (Burton and Davie, 2007) and Thenus indicus (Lund, 1793). In this study, we are reporting the occurrence of T. unimaculatus for the first time from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We have investigated the species based on morphological characters and morphometric ratios following original description of T. unimaculatus. All the morphological characters and most of the morphometric ratios were found to coincide with the previous description. Mitochondrial COI gene sequencing also supports the landings of T. unimaculatus in these Islands.Not Availabl

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Not AvailablePotential Fishing Zone forecasts based on Indian Remote Sensing satellite P4 Ocean Colour Monitor derived chlorophyll concentration and National Oceanographic Aerospace Administration-Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer derived sea surface temperature were disseminated through different modes viz., Digital display boards, e-mail, telephoning/text messaging, radio, community networking and distribution of print-outs in person to the targeted fishermen and the efficacy was tested. Profound reach of technology dissemination was observed in telephoning/text messaging with an average of 72 users per forecast. Printouts of PFZ maps were distributed to an average of 35 fishermen/boat-masters in person. Digital Display Boards were viewed by 30 fishermen per forecast. E-mail message containing PFZ forecasts were sent to regional fisheries sub-stations of remote islands and it was inferred that an average of 15 fishermen per forecasts were benefitted. Further, PFZ messages were transmitted through All India Radio and Agromet Field Unit for extensive reach all along the inhabited islands. Since the validity period of PFZ forecasts is limited to 2-3 days, near real-time dissemination through telephoning/text messaging was found as an optimal tool for efficient utilisation. Field level constraints in different dissemination modes are illustrated in the paper.Not Availabl

Wetlands of Small Island Nations in South Asia vis-à-vis the Mainland and Island Groups in India: Status and Conservation Strategies

The wetlands of small island nations in South Asia such as Sri Lanka and the Maldives are compared with that of India with respect to their status, biodiversity, threats and conservation measures. Sri Lanka has diverse coastal habitats, which are known to support fishes (1800 species), marine turtles (5 species), marine mammals (38 species), corals (183 species), mangroves (40 species), birds (100 species), reptiles (33 species) and seagrasses (10 species). The Maldives boasts one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity comprising 250 species of corals, over 1200 of reef fishes, 200 species of sponges, over 1000 species of crustaceans and over 100 species of echinoderms. Marine biodiversity of India comprises 12,913 species, of which more than 5800 species are reported from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Marine biodiversity of Lakshadweep islands is represented by corals (172 species), fishes (396), sponges (95), molluscs (260), echinoderms (84), crustaceans (80), turtles (04),birds (142), marine mammals (6), seagrasses (07) and mangroves (03). The major threats to these wetlands of South Asian countries are climate change, extreme events like tsunami, coastal erosion, population pressure, habitat destruction and over-exploitation. The chapter emphasises the need for adopting frontier tools for biodiversity documentation and innovative strategies for their conservation

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Not AvailableThis article reviews the importance of culturing marine sponges, considering its applications in the field of drug development and pharmaceutics. Although the biomedical potential of sponges is known, sponge mariculture is an unexplored field in India. Sponges produce bioactive metabolites which have potential applications in drug development, as since sponges yield very low amount of bioactive compounds, mariculture technologies are to be standardized in order to ensure steady supply of sponges in required quantities without disturbing the wild sponge populations. The review also reveals several candidate sponges in India like Stylissa massa, Hyrtios erectus, Mycale sp., Dysidea sp. and Plakortis sp. with reports of high bioactive potential, and can be taken up for mariculture. The possibilities of fish-sponge integrated aquaculture are also discussed as opportunities. With the emergence of rare and uncommon diseases, marine organisms, particularly sponges hold much promise to resolve critical issues in the field of drug development. The review calls on importance in demonstration of feasible mariculture technology of potential candidate marine sponges in India, which could cater to the pharmaceutical needs, without disturbing their wild population.Not Availabl

Wetlands of Tropical Islands under Changing Climate: A Case from Nicobar Group of Islands, India

Wetlands have significant value to the tropical islands owing to their significance in terms of biodiversity, coastal protection, and economic values. This chapter highlights the impact of climate change on the wetlands of tropical islands, with Nicobar group of islands in India as a representative case. Nicobar has a prominent tribal group practicing community living by gathering resources available from the terrestrial and coastal waters. The islands are vulnerable to sea level rise and extreme events such as tsunami, earthquake, and cyclones that affect their routine life. The receding arable and forest areas also affect their livelihood. The projected changes in mean temperature and precipitation for Nicobar region indicate that the rainfall pattern is all set to change significantly during different seasons and the pattern of change in Nicobar would be different from that in Andaman. The magnitude of climate vagaries is likely to be more prominent in the years to come. This chapter illustrates the vulnerability of tropical island ecosystems in general and the Nicobar Islands in particular, to changing climate and calls for incorporating sea level rise into coastal planning and development of appropriate decision-support systems for taking adaptive action, in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change on these islands and their wetland ecosystems