Bycatch of non-commercial batoids in the trawl fishery of south India: Status and conservation prerequisites

Abstract

Bycatch of trawl fishery is a global concern and batoid fishes, including skates, rays and guitar fishes, are caught frequently as non-targeted species in commercial trawl fishery of India. While the commercial batoid species are documented separately in fishery data, a large number of non-commercial species do not form part of fishery data, even though many such species are listed as ‘Data Deficient’ in IUCN red list. A survey was conducted from July 2018 to June 2019 in the major harbours and landing centresof the south coasts of India to monitor the non-commercial batoid species in the trawl bycatch. Massive landings of non-commercial batoid species such as Torpedo sinuspersici, Narcine cf maculata, Orbiraja powelli Acroteriobatus variegatus and the occasional occurrence of Dipturus johannisdavisi, Benthobatis moresbyi, Narcine timlei and Plesiobatis daviesi have been recorded, besides the juveniles, sub-adults and few adults of commercial species Rhinobatos annandalei, Brevitrygon imbricata and Neotrygon indica from south India. The non-commercial batoids mainly inhabit continental shelf and slope regions of Indian coast where fishing pressure and efforts are high. When these k-selected species live in fishing zones with intense fishing pressure, data deficient species of batoids should be considered as threatened, and this paper discuss challenges in the sector, and forwards strategies for conserving non-targeted batoids.