How to reconcile livelihood concerns of the

marginalized people who inhabit the mangrove areas

with that of resource conservation. It is indeed the

Achilles’ heel of any mangrove management

programme especially when designed in the context

of a paradigm of Responsible fisheries as being

advocated the world over

Dam Roy, S

George, J P

Ramachandran, C

Srinath, M

CMFRI Digital Repository

Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)P.B. No. 1603, Ernakulam North P.O; Cochin – 682 018, Kerala, IndiaEdited by :Dr. George J. ParayannilamA follow up of theNational Agricultural Technology Project(NATP.), ICAR.Mangrove Ecosystem Biodiversity :Its Influence on the Natural Recruitment ofSelected Commercially Important Finfish and ShellfishSpecies in FisheriesCMFRI Special Publication No. 83 ISSN : 0972-2351A follow up of theNational Agricultural Technology Project(NATP.), ICAR.Mangrove Ecosystem Biodiversity :Its Influence on the Natural Recruitment ofSelected Commercially Important Finfish and ShellfishSpecies in FisheriesEdited by :Dr. George J. ParayannilamPrincipal ScientistCentral Marine Fisheries Research Institute(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)P.B. No. 1603, Ernakulam North P.O; Cochin – 682 018, Kerala, IndiaMANGROVE ECOSYSTEMSA MANUAL FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF BIODIVERSITYiiMANGROVE ECOSYSTEMSA Manual for the Assessment of BiodiversityPublished by :Prof. Dr. Mohan Joseph ModayilDirectorCentral Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Cochin  - 18, Kerala, IndiaTelephone : + 91-484-2394798Fax : + 91-484-2394909E-mail : mdcmfri@md2.vsnl.net.inWebsite : http://www.cmfri.comISSN : 0972-2351CMFRI Special Publication No. 83Edited by :Dr. George J. ParayannilamEditorial assistance :Mr. P. K. JayasuryaDr. Ansy MathewCover design :Sreejith K. L.© 2005, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Cochin - 18.Price :Indian Rs. 600/-Foreign $ 60/-Printed at :Niseema Printers & Publishers, Cochin - 18. Kerala, India. Ph : 0484-2403760MANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS : A Manual for the Assessment of Biodiversity211Craft & Gear in Mangroves -Responsible FishingGeorge J. P., M. Srinath, C. Ramachandran, and S. Dam RoyHow to reconcile livelihood concerns of themarginalized people who inhabit the mangrove areaswith that of resource conservation. It is indeed theAchilles’ heel of any mangrove managementprogramme especially when designed in the contextof a paradigm of Responsible fisheries as beingadvocated the world over.The FAO code of conduct for responsible fisheriesis a landmark document ever produced in the historyof world fisheries management. It is a consensusdeclaration signed by more than 180 membercountries of the United Nations. This voluntaryinstrument was adopted by FAO in 1995. It covers awide range of fisheries –related activities, includingfisheries management, fishing operations, post-harvest practices, trade and fisheries research. Thecode includes many provisions that support a shift toecologically responsible fishing. It calls onGovernments to apply the precautionary approach,stating that the absence of scientific certainty shouldnot be a reason for failing to take action (FAO codearticle 6.5).According to Article 6.8 of the code “all criticalfisheries habitats in marine and fresh waterecosystems, such as mangroves, wetlands, reefs,lagoons, nursery and spawning areas should beprotected and rehabilitated as far as possible”.Particular effort should be made to protect suchhabitats from destruction, degradation, pollution andother significant impacts resulting from humanactivities that threaten the health and viability of thefishery resources. At the same time the code alsoprovides that “States should protect the rights offishers and fish workers, particularly those engagedin subsistence, small-scale and artisanal fisheries, totheir livelihood, as well as preferential access totraditional fishing grounds “where appropriate”(Article 6.18).Obviously it is difficult to resolve thiscontradiction through legislative measures orenforcement of rules. What is required is facilitatingvoluntary affirmative action by the stakeholders eitherto avoid or minimize the use of destructive fishingmethods in these critical habitats. A possible steppingstone in this direction would be to make thestakeholders aware about the harmful effects, currentas well as what is likely to happen in future,  of theirfishing activities. In this context a brief discription ofthe different types of fishing gears prevalent inmangrove areas of the country is given below. Inaddition suggestions to mitigate and minimize theharmful impacts while operating these gears have alsobeen proposed.1.Cast netThis is a very common gear operated in shallowconfined water areas. The operator requires skill toFishing by cast net - a common pratice mostly  in the lenticwater bodiesMANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS : A Manual for the Assessment of Biodiversity212handle in casting the net. Depending on the area,nature of underwater terrain and depth of operation,cast nets of varying sizes and mesh are being used inmangrove areas. The total length of the net varies from2.5 m to 4.5m when fully cast.2. Seine netsThese are encircling nets used mostly in shallowareas. Sometimes fishermen drag and encircle theparticular stretch of water body while one end of thenet is pulled from the shore. Only organisms ofrelatively small sizes get caught in these nets andallowed larger ones escape.3. Gill nets Gillnets are usually used in 2 to 3.5 m deep waters.It has a length of 20 to 40 m and an approximate meshsize of 10 to 60 mm. In some areas, especially creeks,it is used from shore to shore during high tides.4. Purse seinesPurse seines are not common in mangroves.However fishermen resort to this gear duringoccasions like off-season or when fishing is bannedin the sea. The mesh size varies from 2 to 3.5 cm.Purse seines are very rarely employed in mangroveareas in Kerala.5. Trapsa. Fixed traps:  Fixed traps are very commonlyused in mangroves.  Long stretches of mangrove areasare seen covered with nets fixed from bottom tosurface usually a few feet above the water level usingpoles that keep the net stretched across shores. Thenet remains partly submerged during high tide. Thereis an opening in the centre of the stretched net wherethe trap is fixed.  As the tide recedes water leveldecreases and the mangrove areas emerge, variousaquatic organisms get trapped since there is only oneexit from the net. Fishes are scooped out of the traps.This type of fishing is common in mangroves ofNorthern Kerala.Gill net (passive gear) set out from the bank(English, S., Wilkinson C. & Baker, V 1997)Gill net (passive gear) set on the surface. Nets may be ancheredor allowed to drift(English, S., Wilkinson C. & Baker, V 1997)Gill net (passive gear) set in mid water. Nets may be anchoredor allowed to drift.(English, S., Wilkinson C. & Baker, V 1997)Fish trap (passive gear)(English, S., Wilkinson C. & Baker, V 1997)Fish trap in the mangroveMANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS : A Manual for the Assessment of Biodiversity213b. Basket traps: Mostly women engage in thistype of fishing and they use baskets made of bamboosplits. It is more or less oval in shape with three sideselevated while the one side is open. The scooping isdone by the open side. Twigs or small branches ofmangrove plants are kept inside the basket to attractthe fishes. Mostly very small size prawns or juvenilesof prawns are trapped by this method.8. Hand pickingHand picking of prawns is done by women . Thequantity varies from 0.75 kg to 2.25 kg /head for aperiod of 2-3 hours of labour. They sell it at an averagerate of Rs 40-60/kg depending on size, species andquality9. Seed collectionCollecting the seeds /larvae for aquaculturepurposes by drag net and fixed net operation is acommon practice in the mangroves of the country.Larvae of  P. monodon (mostly in Sunderbans  WestBengal) and P.indicus (mostly in Kerala) fetchattractive prices to the collectors. Fry and fingerlingsof Mugil spp, Etroplus  and Chanos are also collectedfrom Kerala mangroves.The shallow areas of mangroves are encircledby large plankton nets of mesh size 0.33 mm tocollect the larvae, which are stocked in “happas”kept in near shore areas. Later they are scooped byvery small hand nets and transported in plasticcontainers. In Sunderbans fixed nets andindividually operated framed dragnets are used tocollect P. monodon. After dragging a particularstretch the cod end is opened and P. monodon issegregated from the collected organismsperiodically. The position of the fixed nets arechanged depending on the tidal amplitude.10. Long lineIn this operation hooks are attached to a  long ropewhich is laid out from non-mechanized wooden crafts.The line is withdrawn at a pre-determined time tocollect the catch. Mostly carnivorous species arecaught by this method.6. Encircling600 m circumference, mesh size 10 to 20mm,expensive, labour intensive, can be operated onlyin small isolated patches of mangroves. The net isfixed on high tied and fishes are collected duringlow tide.Encircling net (passive gear)(English, S., Wilkinson C. & Baker, V 1997)Bag net (passive gear)(English, S., Wilkinson C. & Baker, V 1997)Bag net (passive gear) commercial gear set in main stream.Usual catch comprises migratory species(English, S., Wilkinson C. & Baker, V 1997)Basket trap7. Bag netsOperation depends on well defined catchmentareas. Chances of escape of fish more from forestfloor. Usually mesh size 1.4 cm for fish and 3 mm forshrimp. The bag net set on frinches of mangroveforests.MANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS : A Manual for the Assessment of Biodiversity2149. Pole and lineThis is a very commonly used fishing method inmangrove areas especially for self-consumption.Sometimes this is done using only hooks attached tonylon strings without using poles and is a timeconsuming operation.Suggestions for Responsible mangrove fishing1. Use nets with mesh size that allows the escape ofjuveniles. Nets with very small mesh size shouldnot be used. However it is suggested that locationspecific mesh size regulations exclusive formangroves need to be formulated.2. Use of gears with selectivity is to be encouraged.3. Collection of seeds /larvae should be based onproper stock assessment and should be undertakenas a monitored seasonal activity. The mangrovefishing community should be trained to do it inan ecologically sound manner.4. The community should be made aware throughconcerted extension interventions about thedestruction being unleashed by the use of certaingears like fixed traps to the total fishery stockboth in inland and marine sector.5. Locally adaptable fisheries based alternativeemployment opportunities should be provided /generated to them by the respective Governments.This can include small-scale hatcheries, eco-friendly aquaculture and integrated fish farming.6. The eco-tourism potential of mangrove regionscan be tapped through imaginative planning andparticipatory implementation of co-managementprogrammes.With well-planned efforts the marginalized people/ mangrove community staying in these wetlandregions can be transformed into responsiblecustodians and rational beneficiaries of theseecologically sensitive, but invaluable biosphereareas. What is needed is a separate policy for theecologically rational utilization of mangroves ineach maritime state. Mangrove ecosystemmanagement, conservation and security should beclosely linked with the lively-hood security ofmangrove community.Suggested ReferencesEnglish, S., Wilkinson C. & Baker, V (1997). Sampling tech-niques for mangrov fish in Survey Manual for Tropical Ma-rine Resources  Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, TownsVille, Queensland, Australia. pp. 321-336.William G. Oxley (1997). Sampling Design and monitoring inSurvey Manual for Tropical Marine Resources.  AustralianInstitute of Marine Sciences, Towns Ville, Queensland, Aus-tralia. pp. 299-312.Long line (passive gear) without baits(English, S., Wilkinson C. & Baker, V 1997)Long line (passive gear) set with baits(English, S., Wilkinson C. & Baker, V 1997)

Craft and gear in mangroves - Responsible fishing

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Craft and gear in mangroves - Responsible fishing

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