An analysis was carried out on monthly spatial distribution and unusual congregation of Indian squid (Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvaucelii) off Maharashtra coast. Decadal, annual and monthly squid landing data were taken from National Marine Living Resources Data Centre (NMLRDC) of ICAR-CMFRI. Onboard fisheries information were collected from multi-day trawlers operating from Mumbai and Ratnagiri. Ocean environment parameters coming from Copernicus Marine Service Information with 1/12 degree horizontal resolution and 50 vertical depth level and OSCAR (Ocean Surface Current Analysis Real-time) near-surface ocean current estimates was derived using quasi-linear and steady flow momentum equations on a 1/3 degree grid with a 5 day resolution. In last decade, contribution of squid to total marine fish landing of Maharashtra rose from 2% to 7.3%. The decadal landing shows two peaks in 2012 and 2017. Indian squid landing in 2017 shows two peak, one during August to October confined to 15 0 N to 17 0 N latitude in 15 to 60 m depth off south Maharashtra and second in summer, during March-April months widely scattered in north and south Maharashtra. The unusual abundance of Indian squid during mid-October to mid-November 2017 were attributed to rise in coastal surface and subsurface temperature. Catch per hour of trawl and SST shows strong positive correlation (0.79) during the same period.
The study was planned to examine polychaete fishing activity along the coast of Mumbai city. Random sampling was performed for a period of six months and conducted interviews with bait diggers, traders and local fishers (n=30). Polychaete annelids were found to be the most extensively harvested taxa in the intertidal areas due to market demand from the aquaculture industry. The collected polychaetes were identified as Marphysa spp. During the survey, each pair (two partners) on a typical day is reported to collect around 1-2 kilogram of live worms, which earns them `1000 per kg. It is recorded that the average collection of worms from various locations in intertidal areas of Mumbai city is around 150-200 kg/day. Last decade, the annual consumption of polychaetes by shrimp hatcheries ranged from 16 to 20 tonnes. Shrimp farming in India is intensified and currently, there are 315 hatcheries registered with the Government of India for seed production of Litopenaeus vannamei. The demand for polychaete worms has therefore increased many folds and could be estimated in the range of 252 to 337 tonnes annually and nowadays, this demand is being met by an unreported wild-caught polychaete resource as well as import of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) polychaete from overseas suppliers. There is scope for polychaete culture to satisfy the country's growing market demand. Moreover, polychaete fishing in coastal areas removes substantial biomass and hence can cause major impacts on coastal habitats. There is a need for regulation of its mass collection from the wild.
Estimated bivalve landing of Maharashtra was 1,237 t in 2017. Oysters dominated the fishery (79%) followed by clams (17%) and mussel (4%). The Indian rock oyster, Saccostrea cucullata locally known as 'Kalva' contributed 90% to the oyster catch. The fishery was observed mainly in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri Districts. Clam landing comprised of Meretrix meretrix (44%), M. casta (30%), Paphia malabarica (18%), Katelysia opima (7%) and Polymedosa erosa (1%). Green mussels (Perna viridis) were harvested along the coastal waters of Ratnagiri. Meretrix meretrix showed dominance in all month followed by M. casta and P. malabarica. Catch per unit efforts for clams and oyster were highest during June and July month. There was good demand for bivalves in local markets during the mechanised fishing ban period. Mostly women were handpicking the clams during low tide. There was good demand for bivalves in local markets during the mechanised fishing ban period (June-July). The correlation matrix shows condition index and percentage edibility correlated with the water temperature in the creek.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.