Analysis of trawl-net operation and major fish landings at Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Abstract

Trawl-net is an important fishing gear in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANIs) India since three decades with minimum number(n=10) of boats meeting the daily fish consumption of Islanders with minimum costs. A study was carried out between 2014 to 2018 to investigate the major fish landings of Trawl-net in the ANIs coast. The trawl-net landing is occurring only from Junglighat fish landing centre(FLC) which is having loading and unloading facilities in ANIs. The total number of FLC visits, fishing-trips, operations and fish-landing of trawl-net recorded during this period were 692(n), 533(n), 7561(n) and 691(tonnes) respectively. The maximum fishing-trips(149) and fishing-operations(2086) occurred during the year 2018 and minimum of same (87 and 1218) occurred during 2015. Similarly, the maximum(170.51tonnes) and minimum (109.33 tonnes) of fish landings were observed during the year 2014 and 2015 respectively with an average of 138.21±10.54tonnes/year. The contribution of trawl-net landing amongst other gears was 17.8% including fin-fishes(598.7tonnes) and shell-fishes(115.34tonnes) during the study period. The trawl-net operation was occurring at very few fishing grounds(n=14) in ANIs and the maximum fish catch occurred in the Coast of Havelock Island (26.7%). Totally 52 genera of fishes were recorded in trawl-net landings under 37 families in which Leiognathidae was found more dominant(21.38%). Altogether 21 Trawl-net validations were conducted at each PFZ and Non- PFZ during the period. The fishes captured at PFZ 3288kg with an average of 156.6±13.5 kg/operation and at Non-PFZ 1237kg with an average of 58.9±5.3kg/operation. The minimum range of fish cost in the market was maintaining in this Island due to the trawl-net landings, in-spite of there was controversy of non-selective fish catch and by-catch in trawl-net fishing.