14 research outputs found
Not Available
Not AvailableIn Karnataka, the trawling industry contributes
significantly to fish landings. Though conventional
otter trawlers account for the majority of trawl
landings in the state, pair / bull trawling, which is
prohibited, also during the post-monsoon season.
There are no published reports on the specifications
of the gear used or the changes operation, in the
region over the last few years. A comparison of pair/
bull trawls and mid-water finfish otter trawls
operating off the coast of Karnataka was conducted.
The specifications for the gears were gathered from
the gear fabrication units in Mangalore and Malpe.
The pair trawl’s head rope (HR) measured 183–293
m in length, while the finfish otter trawl’s HR
measured 99–110 m. The pair trawls had a mouth
opening that was between 2.9–4.06 times that of the
mid-water finfish otter trawls. Trawlers operating
along the Karnataka coast conducted both pair and
otter trawling during the same cruise, depending on
the circumstances. The study indicates that the catch
rate was significantly higher in pair trawls than in
otter trawls. The average drag produced by pair
trawls was calculated to be 6.74 tonnes at a speed
of 3.0 kn, while the drag produced by otter trawls
was only 2.28 tonnes at the same speed. The result
of the study indicates that while the high fuel
consumption of a pair trawling unit may negate
some of the profits, the overall profit margin of the
unit remains high during pair trawling, enticing
fishermen to engage in clandestine pair trawling.
Capping engine power, regulating gear size and
operation and enforcing legal mesh sizes through
stringent “monitoring, control and surveillance”
mechanisms mitigate the negative impacts of pair
trawlingNot Availabl