'Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi'
Abstract
Cephalopods have emerged as one of the prime
foreign exchange earners in India. Trawl nets
operating up to 100 m depth account for nearly 85%
of the cephalopod landings and use of high opening
bottom trawl nets resulted in rapid increase in
production. Other gears that exploit cephalopods as
bycatch are boat seines, purse seines and dol nets.
Jigging, a specialised fishing method developed for
cephalopods in Japan, has slowly emerged in India
too. Cephalopod jigging by hand has been reported
along various places such as Vizhinjam,
Kanyakumari, Palk Bay coast, Tuticorin, Karnataka,
Devipattinam and Keelakarai in the Gulf of Mannar.
The present report of squid jigging off Ratnagiri
appears to be the first report from the state of
Maharashtr