Bycatch from trawlers forms a signifi cant quantity of the total marine fi sh landings along the northwest coast of India, particularly in the state of Gujarat, which contributes about 23 percent of the total marine fi sh landings in the country. This paper discusses the composition of this bycatch, its signifi cance in terms of nutritional value, its present utilization pattern and the scope for improvement

Badonia, R.

Ninan, G.

Sen, A.

Zynudheen, A.A.

English

Aquatic Commons

NAGA, WorldFish Center Quarterly  Vol. 27 No. 3 & 4 Jul-Dec 200420
articles
Utilization of trawl bycatch in Gujarat (India)
A.A. Zynudheen, G. Ninan, A. Sen and R. Badonia
Abstract
Bycatch from trawlers forms a signifi cant quantity of the total marine fi sh landings along the northwest 
coast of India, particularly in the state of Gujarat, which contributes about 23 percent of the total marine 
fi sh landings in the country. This paper discusses the composition of this bycatch, its signifi cance in terms 
of nutritional value, its present utilization pattern and the scope for improvement.
Introduction
During 1999-2000, marine fi sh production 
in India was 2.8 million tonnes. Gujarat 
ranked fi rst among the maritime states in 
the country with 0.67 million tonnes of 
marine landings and 0.74 million tonnes 
of total fi sh production. The  value of the 
catch in Gujarat is estimated to be over 
Rs.14 529 million (Anon. 2001). Most of 
the fi sh landings are from mechanised 
fi shing boats numbering over 17 000. 
Of these fi shing boats, 39 percent are 
trawlers. The trawl nets  contribute 
about 71 percent, while gillnets and dol 
nets (bag nets) together account for 
19 percent of the total quantity of fi sh 
landed in the state. The remaining 10 
percent of the catch comes from dugout 
canoes with outboard motors (OBM) and 
non-mechanised boats operating mainly 
gill nets and catching quality fi shes. Apart 
from various quality fi shes, prawns, squid, 
cuttlefi sh and lobsters, the trawlers bring 
in large quantites of bycatch. This bycatch 
comprises juveniles of quality fi shes, small 
sized prawns, crabs, squillas etc. Bycatch, 
locally known as kutta is mainly used for 
dried fi sh, fi sh meal and fi sh manure. In 
India, exports constitute 8 percent of the 
trawl catch, distant domestic markets 12 
percent, local consumption as fresh fi sh 
15 percent, local consumption as salted 
and dried fi sh 15 percent, and fi sh meal of 
three grades 50 percent. (A. Kungsuwan 
1999). Recently, the global trend has 
been towards a better utilization of 
bycatch and to reduce the quanity of 
bycatch landed. This paper discusses the 
present status of bycatch composition, its 
utilization and possible improvements.
Materials and Methods
Surveys were conducted in the four 
major fi sh landing centres in Gujarat, 
namely, Veraval, Porbundar, Mangrol and 
Jaffrabad, during the peak fi shing season 
from September to February for two 
years (2000-2001 and 2001-2002) to 
identify the important species in the 
bycatch of trawl fi sheries. Every week, 
two samples weighing 1-2 kg each were 
collected at random from daily trip and 
long-trip trawlers from each centre. On 
average, a long-trip boat brings 1 t of fi sh 
as by catch per trip, while for a daily trip 
it is 100-500 kg. The samples from long-
trip boats were limited to 25 percent 
of the total, since most of the long-trip 
bycatch was in putrid condition by the 
time it was landed. The samples were 
washed and sorted in the laboratory 
and important species of fi shes, squids, 
cuttle fi sh and prawns were identifi ed 
(Fisher and Bianchi 1984; Roper et al. 
1984; Jhingran 1982). The approximate 
composition of important groups in the 
bycatch was determined according to the 
AOAC Procedure (1990).
Results
Composition of bycatch
The major species in trawl bycatches 
were sciaenids, engraulids, ribbon fi sh, 
penaeid and non-penaeid prawns, squids, 
cuttle fi sh, etc. Sciaenids constituted 
15.6 percent of the catch, followed 
by engraulids (12.84 percent), ribbon 
fi sh (8.9 percent), squid and cuttle fi sh 
(7.7 percent). Other species included 
polynemids (4.9 percent), Lactarius 
(4.2 percent), nemipterids (3.9 
percent), leiognathids (3.3 percent), 
carangids (2.8 percent), fl at fi sh (2.7 
percent) and others like shells, jelly 
fi sh, squilla, crabs, etc. (Pravin and 
Manoharadoss 1996). At the beginning 
of the season, in mid-September, the  
major species observed were non-
penaeid prawns, (Nematopalaemon spp. 
29.3 percent, Acetes spp. 11.3 percent, 
and Exhippolysmata spp. 4.5 percent), 
sciaenids (7.7 percent), engraulids (5.4 
percent), ribbon fi shes (4.7 percent) and 
penaeid prawns (Parapenaeopsis stylifera 
2.4 percent). The important species of 
fi sh and shellfi sh in the bycatch along 
with their scientifi c, common and local 
names are given in Table 1.
Present utilization
About 75 percent of the marine fi sh 
in Gujarat are landed at 10 major 
centres. Veraval is the most important 
one, with landings of over 0.17 million 
tonnes, which is 27 percent of the total 
landings of the state. Other major 
centres include Porbandar, Mangrol 
and Jafrabad, which together accept 
25 percent of the catch. Thus, over 
50 percent of the catch of the state is 
landed in these four centres. There are 
over 60 export-oriented fi sh processing 
21NAGA, WorldFish Center Quarterly  Vol. 27 No. 3 & 4 Jul-Dec 2004
articles
plants with a combined freezing capacity 
of 2 464 t per day and a storage 
capacity of 30 501 t.
In Gujarat, the bulk of the quality fi shes 
(prawns and cephalopods), are exported 
in a frozen condition, while a small 
portion goes for fresh consumption. 
The remaining low value bycatch is used 
mainly for fi sh meal production and fi sh 
manure (Table 2). During 1999-2000, 
dried fi sh production was 22 000 t, 
fi shmeal 14 000 t and manure 1 120 t 
(Anon. 2001). All the large-sized fi shes 
are split open, cured and dried. Small 
fi shes like sole, coilia, etc. are salted 
and dried whole. Sharks are processed 
mainly in semi-dried form and have a 
good market in the southern states and 
the northeast region. Another major 
product from bycatch is fi shmeal. In 
Gujarat there are three fi shmeal plants 
and 54 fi sh pulverizing units with the 
capacity to utilize 928 t of bycatch per 
day. 
In voyage fi shing, which lasts for 7-8 
days, the catch is sorted on board after 
each haul and quality fi sh and shellfi sh 
are separated and iced immediately. 
Other low value fi shes and juveniles are 
dumped on the deck without icing. They 
remains in this condition through the 
trip, with the quantity increasing after 
each haul. This bycatch deteriorates 
and becomes a putrid and foul smelling 
semi-solid mass. Once landed, it is 
transported to the drying yards in 
open vehicles for drying and fi shmeal 
manufacture. In addition to this bycatch, 
wastes from processing plants, curing 
and drying yards, prawn shells and 
cephalopod wastes from pre-processing 
units are used as raw material for 
fi shmeal (Ravishankar et al. 1996).
A trawler operating from Veraval 
harbour lands 500-1 000 kg of 
bycatch per trip, on average. This is 
approximately 30-50 percent of the 
total quantity of fi sh landed. During 
December-January, cephalopods 
dominate the trawl catch and the  
landings of bycatch are relatively less. 
The normal price for spoiled bycatch is 
Rs.1 per kg and for fresh bycatch  the 
price may go up to Rs. 1.50 per kg.
The composition of various species of 
fi sh and shellfi sh in the bycatch indicates 
that it is a good source of  protein and  
minerals. The approximate composition 
of important groups in the bycatch is 
given in Table 3. It shows moisture in the 
range of 74-81 percent, lowest in ribbon 
fi sh and highest in penaeid prawns. 
Prawns have a low protein content 
(11.5 percent), while some fi shes like 
anchovies and ribbon fi sh have a high 
protein content of 23  percent. A high 
mineral content was noted in whole 
prawns and crabs. The dry fi sh, fi sh meal 
and manure are a rich source of protein, 
minerals and vitamins.
The bycatch from long-trip trawlers is 
in a putrid and decomposed state and is 
not fi t for human consumption. It is still 
landed for the following reasons:
• It serves as a source of additional 
revenue for the fi shermen because 
it is bought by manufacturers of 
fi shmeal;
• In long-trip boats, it is uneconomical 
to ice the entire catch and the 
fi shermen ice only the quality catch;
• Lack of ice storage capacity in the 
fi sh holds of the vessels; and
• Use of small-sized cod ends in 
trawl nets result in landing a sizable 
quantity of small fi shes and juveniles.
The spoiled bycatch releases various 
odoriferous compounds, such as 
ammonia, skatols, indole, putrecene, 
Scientifi c name Common name Local name
Upeneus spp. Yellow goatfi sh Ratamachala/chiri
Saurida tumbil Lizardfi sh Chor bumla
Lepturacanthus savala Ribbon fi sh Bagga
Otolithus sp. Croaker Dhoma
Apogon sp. Cardinalfi sh Kuttamachi
Decapterus russeli Russell scad Bhangadi
Pellona microgaster Shad Katti
Tryssa mystax Moustache anchovy Katti 
Muraenesox sp. Eel Wam
Leiognathus sp. Silver belly Kittli 
Nemipterus japonicus Threadfi n bream; Pink perch Rani/ lalmachala
Coilia dusssumieri Golden anchovy Mendili
Pellona ditchela Indian pellona Tellus kati
Lactarius lactarius White fi sh; Big jaw jumper Chapala
Cypsilurus sp. Flying fi sh Kumnga
Priancathus sp. Big eye Raja/ lal machi
Sepia sp. Cuttlefi sh Dedka/makool
Loligo sp. Squid Narsinga
Acetes sp. Paste shrimp Jawla
Nematopalaemon tenuipes Tiny prawn Safed kolmi
Exhippolysmata ensirostris Red prawn Lal kolmi
Solenocerus sp. Red prawn Lal jinga 
Oratosquilla nepa Mantis shrimp Hijara
Charybdis cruciata Cross crab Karackala
Table 1. Important fish and shellfish found in the trawl bycatch in Gujarat.
NAGA, WorldFish Center Quarterly  Vol. 27 No. 3 & 4 Jul-Dec 200422
articles
cadaverine, etc., which cause a foul smell 
in the harbour and surrounding areas. It 
contains a high load of spoilage bacteria 
which can contaminate the quality fi shes. 
It also attracts fl ies and is an attractive 
breeding ground for them, which leads 
to poor sanitary conditions in and 
around the harbour.
Improved utilization
The Code of Conduct for Responsible 
Fisheries calls on states to “encourage 
those involved in fi sh processing, 
distribution and marketing to improve 
the use of bycatch to the extent that 
is consistent with responsible fi sheries 
management practices” (FAO 1995). 
In countries like India, where the per 
capita protein availability is below 
the recommended level, the proper 
utilization of bycatch from trawlers is 
important.
Fishing bycatch contains a considerable 
quantity of small prawns and low value 
fi shes of marketable size. Non-penaeid 
prawns like Acetes spp., Nematopalaemon 
sp., etc. from daily trip boats, can be 
hygienically dried and marketed. The 
dried fi sh and prawns have a good 
Year Total fi sh production (t) Dried fi sh (t) Fishmeal (t) Fish manure (t)
1995-96 658 509 36 772 23 541 1 001
1996-97 725 346 35 059 15 787 1 360
1997-98 772 802 36 915 15 746 1 519
1998-99 631 782 20 091 14 849 1 171
1999-00 741 280 22 508 13 985 1 127
Table 2. Production of fish, dry fish, fishmeal and manure in Gujarat.
Group Moisture % Protein % Fat % Ash %
Sciaenids 78.90-79.20 13.60-17.50 0.21-0.32 1.39-2.20
Anchovy 76.36-78.86 18.50-23.50 0.15-0.61 1.65-2.15
Ribbon fi sh 74.00-78.10 18.00-22.66 0.42-2.50 1.40-1.96
Prawn (Whole) 78.00-81.00 11.40-14.60 0.58-0.75 4.00-6.62
Crab (edible part) 78.90-79.20 13.6-17.5 0.21-0.32 1.39-2.2
Squid 78.00 16.00 1.50 0.75
Acetes 78.49-81.26 11.45-14.68 0.62-0.67 4.06-6.50
Table 3. Composition of important groups in trawl bycatch.
market and fetch a good price. Various 
products like cutlets, wafers, spirals, 
soup powder, etc., are manufactured 
using fresh Acetes indicus (Zynudheen 
et al. 1998). Protein powder is made 
from Acetes by drying heat-coagulated 
pulp in the sun and under a vacuum 
and can be used as fl avoring agent for 
various preparations (Garg et al. 1977). 
Mince extracted from fi shes like small 
sciaenids, engraulids and carangids, etc., 
can be used for making products like fi sh 
balls, crackers and burgers (Yu and Siah 
1996).
The marketable size fi shes of the 
bycatch can be sorted on board for 
salting when icing is not feasible. The 
salted low-value fi shes can be stored 
in containers on the deck, subject to 
availability of space. While salting on 
board, care should be taken to see that 
the salted fi sh does not contaminate 
the other quality fi shes in the fi sh 
hold. The remaining trash fi sh can be 
effectively utilized for the preparation of 
fi sh ensilage. This is a highly nutritious 
product that can be incorporated into 
animal and poultry feeds. The Central 
Institute Fisheries Technology (CIFT) 
has developed a technology for the 
production of fi sh ensilage from low 
value fi shes and bycatch. It has better 
nutritional properties than fi shmeal. 
It is rich in water-soluble proteins and 
contains thermolabile vitamins and 
important minerals.
Since fi sh production in Gujarat has 
reached its maximum sustainable level, 
the need of the hour is to utilize the 
resource judiciously. Bycatch is an 
inevitable outcome of trawl fi shing and it 
should be properly managed for better 
returns from the fi shery. Globally, there 
is now an emphasis on reducing the 
bycatch. Increasing the cod end size of 
the trawl nets to the recommended 35 
mm and use of square mesh cod ends 
will considerably reduce the landing 
of trawl bycatch. This will help in 
conserving the fi shery resources of this 
region, particularly the commercially 
important species.
Acknowledgement
The authors are grateful to Dr K. 
Devadasan, Director, Central Institute of 
Fisheries Technology for permission to 
publish this paper.
References
Anon. 2001. Fisheries Statistics. 
Department of Fisheries, 
Government of Gujarat.
AOAC (Association of Official Analytical 
Chemists). 1990. Official methods 
of analysis. AOAC, Washington DC, 
USA.
FAO. 1995. Code of Conduct for 
Responsible Fisheries, Food and 
Agriculture Organisation of U.N., 
Rome, 41 p.
Fischer, W. and G. Bianchi. 1984. FAO 
species identification sheets for 
fishery purposes. Western Indian 
Ocean (Fishing area 51). Volume 1-6. 
FAO, Rome.
Garg, D.K., A. Lakshmy Nair and 
P.V. Prabhu. 1977. Protein from 
Jawla Prawn (Acetes spp.) and 
Squilla (Oratosquilla nepa). Fishery 
Technology 14:53.
23NAGA, WorldFish Center Quarterly  Vol. 27 No. 3 & 4 Jul-Dec 2004
articles
Jhingran, V.G. 1982. Fish and fisheries of 
India, II edn. Hindustan Publishing 
Corporation, New Delhi, India.
Kunguswan, A. 1999. Bycatch utilization 
in Asia: an overview, p. 24. In I. 
Clucas and F. Teutscher (eds.) 
Report and Proceedings of FAO/
DFID Expert Consultation on 
Bycatch Utilization in Tropical 
Fisheries. 21-23 September 1998, 
Beijing, China.
Pravin, P. and R.S. Manoharadoss. 1996. 
Constituents of low value trawl 
bycatch caught off Veraval. Fish Tech. 
33 (2):121-123.
Ravishankar, C.N., K.A. Kumar, R. 
Badonia and K.K. Solanki. 1996. 
Fishmeal industry in Gujarat. Poultry 
Punch. Oct. 1996:73-82.
Roper, C.F.E., M.J. Sweeny and C.E. 
Nauen. 1984. Cephalopods of the 
world: an annotated and illustrated 
catalogue of species of interest to 
fisheries. FAO Species Catalogue, 
Vol. III. FAO Fish Synop. FAO, Rome, 
277 p.
Yu, S.Y. and W.M. Siah. 1996. 
Development of fish burgers from 
some underutilized species of 
trevally. Infofish International No. 2. 
Zynudheen. A.A., A. Sen, C.N. 
Ravishankar, K.A. Kumar, R. Badonia 
and K.K. Solanki. 1998. Utilization 
of Jawla (Acetes spp.), p. 264-266. 
In K.K Balachandran, T.S.G. Iyer, P. 
Madhavan, J. Joseph, P.A. Perigreen, 
M.R. Raghunath and M.D. Varghese 
(eds.) Proceedings of the Symposium 
on Advances and Priorities in 
Fisheries Technology. SOFT (I), 11-13 
February 1998, Cochin, India.
      
A.A. Zynudheen, G. Ninan, A. Sen 
and R. Badonia are from the Veraval 
Research Centre of the Central Institute of 
Fisheries Technology, Gujarat, India.
Email: zynu@rediffmail.com


Utilization of trawl bycatch in Gujarat (India)

http://aquaticcommons.org/9594/1/na_2316.pdf

Utilization of trawl bycatch in Gujarat (India)

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Aquatic Commons