An appraisal of trawl fishery of Kerala
An appraisal of trawl fishery of Kerala
Date
2009
Authors
Hassan, F.
Sathidas, R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Asian Fisheries Society Mannila
Abstract
Trawl fishery of Kerala contributes about 35-50% of the annual landings of the state. The
ever increasing international demand for shrimps and cuttlefishes further induced acute
competition, higher investment and continuous up gradation of trawlers. The technical
specifications, capital investment, catch composition and revenue for single and multiday units has drastic differences. The present study aims to highlight the trawl landings of Kerala state and comparative efficiency of these units operating at Cochin Fisheries Harbour. The data was systematically collected during 2005-2006 in a pre-designed schedule covering all seasons. The secondary data was obtained from various publications of State Fisheries Department and CMFRI.The craft and gear specifications of these units indicate the increasing trend of capital intensity in an already overcapitalized sector. The study indicates that the shift towards multi-day units will further increase due to better catch and returns. Although the multi-day trawlers are economically efficient, the wastes and discards generated from these units are not advisable forthe long-term sustainable development of our open access marine fisheries. Regulations in termsof number of units, unit operations or quota system for trawlers appear to be imminent for theefficient management of marine fishery resources of the state.
Description
Keywords
Trawl fishery, shrimp trawlers, economic evaluation, mechanized fishingunits
Citation
Asian Fisheries Science 2009: 22(1), 277-284