Role of co-operative societies in black clam fishery and trade in Vembanad Lake

Abstract

Lime shells and live clams are distributed in large quantities in the backwaters and estuaries of Kerala. Vembanad, the largest lake of Kerala, also holds a vast resource of lime shells and live clam, comprising several species. The major species that account for the clam fishery of Vembanad Lake is the black clam Villorita cyprinoides. The lime shells that contribute to the fishery are broadly classified as the ‘white shells’ and the ‘black shells’. The so-called ‘white shells’ are sub-soil deposits of fossilized shells and are known to extend upto 7 feet below the lake bottom. The black shells are obtained from the living population of V. cyprinoides, which contribute more than 90% of the clams from this lake.