Clash between purse seine and artisanal fishermen at cochin

The introduction of purse seining in Kerala in the traditional grounds has been vehemently opposed by the indigenous fishermen and has, on many occasions, resulted in skirmishes between the two from the very beginning. This articles discusses about the conflict between purse seine and artisanal fishermen and suggestions to minimize this conflicts are specified

Fluctuations in the mackerel catches at Cochin

The heavy catches of mackerel were observed during 21st and 28th September. 1982 ,at the Fisheries Harbour, Cochin,by purse-seiners, and since these are quite unprecedented in the recent past, observations made on the biology of the fish and its fishery are presented. The overall size-range of the fish during the month was 153-276 mm and the modal sizes varied between 180 and 250 mm suggesting that the fishery was supported mainly by 1-year and 2-years-old individuals. A majority of fish (58%) were in spent condition followed by immature, spent-recovering and developing individuals. The 92% of the bumper catch of 21st September comprised of spent fish followed by spent-recovering individuals of 2-years-old. Size ranges and dominant modal sizes of mackerel in the purse seine catches during September were compared. The high catch rates, on some these days in September indicates that the mackerel shoals available in the inshore waters were not adequately exploited before the introduction of purse seiners in the area.The comparison of results of the monthly mackerel landings and temperature and salinity values at different centres by various authors reveals that certain optimal levels of temperature and salinity is suitable for the mackerel fishery

On A Blue Whale Balaenoptera Musculus Stranded At Chappa Beach, Narakkal, Cochin, Southwest Coast Of India

The news about the stranding of a whale at Chappa beach, Narackal was received on 2-9-1985 and an immediate visit to the landing centre was made for further observations and studies

A note on the monsoon fishery for threadfin breams off Cochin

The threadfln bream fishery by shrimp trawlers, constituted by Nemipterus japonicus and N. mesoprion, is subject to great seasonal and annual flucuations, the total catch, as well as the catch rate, being highest during SW monsoon. It appears from the catch trends at various depths that nemipterids, which normally inhabit in the depth zone 75-100 m, migrate to 35-40 m during monsoon, coinciding with upwelling. The hydrographic conditions which might be causing this shift of the population is discussed

Hydrographic features off northeast coast and Andaman - Nicobar Islands in relation to demersal finfish resources

Temperature varied from 17.6 to 28.5°C, salinity values from 32.12 to 35.21 x 10"" and dissolved oxygen from 0.8 to 4.41 ml/1. No identifiable relationship could be established between these three parameters and the total fish abundance, probably because the catch was made up of many species having different requirements. Higher abundance of trawl catches was from January to May when bottom water temperature was relatively low. The highest level of abundance of 2764 kg/hr in February 1989 was recorded when the parameters were 26°C, 33.6 x 10" and 2.71 ml/1; and the lowest level of 43.2 kg/hr in July 1988 was when the parameters were 25.3°C, 34.48 x 10'^ and 1.6 ml/1

An abnormal sting-ray caught off Calicut

An abnormal male specimen of the sting-ray Himantura uarnak caught in the trawl net at Calicut is described. The anterior lobes of the pectoral fins were not fused with the head and were tapering forward and inward in the form of a pair of horns

The Indian White prawn Penaeus indicus in the Purse seine catches

White prawn shoal was sighted by purse seine fishermen about 20 km SW of Cochin at about 30-35 m depth, while steaming to the purse seine fishing grounds. The catch was composed mainly of fairly large sized prawns numbering 25-30/kg of females and 3G-40/kg of males (head on). The size ranged from 145 to 185 mm with the dominant modes at 151-155 and 166-170 mm for females and 135 to 170 mm with the dominant mode at 150-155 mm for males . In the purse seine catch the sexes were of almost equal distribution; the females constituting 50.4% of the population. In this context the present observation of unusual landings of fairly large sized P. indicus in abundance in the purse seines is especially interesting, which could have been the result of the large scale migration of the species into the columnar waters during premonsoon and monsoo

On a juvenile whale shark Rhincodon typus Smith landed at Cochin

Report on an immature female whale shark of 1.5 tonnes caught about 20 km southwest of Cochin, India

Prawns in purse seine catches

Prawns being demersal in habit, occur rarely in purse seine catches. A study of prawns occurring in purse seine catches in Cochin and Karnataka region ,and also the comparison of its size composition has been attempted. The occurrence of M. dobsoni in appreciable quantities in the purse seines has been noted. Aa at Cochin M. dobsoni contributed to the bulk of the heavy catch, 98.3% and 93.3% respectively at Mangalore and Malpe. The rest of the catches constituted Penaeus indicus. When there was very high catch M. dobsoni formed almost 100% of the landings. More or less the same ratio of sex distribution as at Cochin was noticed at both Mangalore and Malpe, the female to male ratio being 56:44. In comparison to the sizes landed at Cochin during the pre-monsoon period the sizes occurring in the purse seines at Mangalore and Malpe were much higher. The modal sizes of the prawns in the catches of both purse seine and trawl net in males as well as females are exactly the same in both centres, although the trawl catches at Maipe shows a much wider range in sizes when compared to the purse seine catches. The modal sizes of both males and females are much higher than that in the catches at Cochin . The females show a higher modal length in purse seine catches while males show a lower modal length, when compared to trawl catches. The dominance of females in the purse seine catches of this coast along with the fact that majority of them were in spent/spent recovering stages would strengthen the point that the behaviour of the shoals moving up in the column of water is probably related with their spawning activities. Uit can be concluded that a close monitoring of purse seine catch is essential to see that it does not affect the coastal trawl fishery that depends mainly on the penaeid prawn resources

Marine Fish Calendar. 4 Cochin

The article provides details about the marine fish landing at Cochin fisheries harbour, Kerala during the period 1981-1985. It was found that the majority of the landing was contributed by purse seine followed by trawlers, drift gill nets, boat seines, hooks and lines etc