‘necessary regulations in trawls’ | Kochi News
Kochi: Amid a huge shortage of fishing catches, there is an urgent need to review and regulate trawling, which is also contributing to growing concern in the fisheries sector, according to a study by researchers from the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (Kufos).
The study calls for an urgent need for strict enforcement of regulations regarding vessel size, engine power, trawl size, codend type and mesh size. Periodic inspection is the need of the hour, says the study “Structural Change in Mechanized Trawling Fleet of Kerala”, which was presented at the recently concluded annual conference on sustainable ecosystems organized by the department of Aquatic Biology from the University of Kerala. The study was based on data collected from 40 trawlers from January to June 2021 in the four fishing ports of Ernakulam Thoppumpady, Kalamukku, Murikkumpadam and Munambam. Using a questionnaire, information was collected from fishermen, boat owners, net makers and other stakeholders.
“It is observed that there has been a drastic increase in gear size with a commensurate increase in fishing vessel size and engine power. An attempt has been made to document the major changes in the length overall weight (LOA), installed engine horsepower of trawlers, head chord length and wing mesh size from 1955 to 2021,” states the study by Kufos researcher Lalima Inwati and team. including senior scientists from CIFT.
Common species caught by fish trawling along the Cochin coast are sliver, threadfin, mackerel, anchovy, pomfret, flatfish, trevally and oil sardine.
With increasing fishing pressure in coastal waters, fishermen working in the mechanized trawling sector have been forced to venture into deeper waters to identify new fishing grounds and better catches.
The study calls for an urgent need for strict enforcement of regulations regarding vessel size, engine power, trawl size, codend type and mesh size. Periodic inspection is the need of the hour, says the study “Structural Change in Mechanized Trawling Fleet of Kerala”, which was presented at the recently concluded annual conference on sustainable ecosystems organized by the department of Aquatic Biology from the University of Kerala. The study was based on data collected from 40 trawlers from January to June 2021 in the four fishing ports of Ernakulam Thoppumpady, Kalamukku, Murikkumpadam and Munambam. Using a questionnaire, information was collected from fishermen, boat owners, net makers and other stakeholders.
“It is observed that there has been a drastic increase in gear size with a commensurate increase in fishing vessel size and engine power. An attempt has been made to document the major changes in the length overall weight (LOA), installed engine horsepower of trawlers, head chord length and wing mesh size from 1955 to 2021,” states the study by Kufos researcher Lalima Inwati and team. including senior scientists from CIFT.
Common species caught by fish trawling along the Cochin coast are sliver, threadfin, mackerel, anchovy, pomfret, flatfish, trevally and oil sardine.
With increasing fishing pressure in coastal waters, fishermen working in the mechanized trawling sector have been forced to venture into deeper waters to identify new fishing grounds and better catches.