Minimum Legal Size (MLS) of capture to avoid growth overfishing of commercially exploited fish and shellfish species of Kerala

Abstract

During the current fishing season, considerable amount of juveniles of small pelagics have been captured along Kerala coast in a targeted manner to meet the demand of fish meal plants. Exploitation of juvenile fish results in considerable economic loss, in terms of what could have been obtained had the fishers waited for a few months and allowed the animal to grow in size and weight. This phenomenon called as growth over-fishing also causes serious damage to the fish stock in terms of long-term sustainability of the resources. A minimum legal size (MLS) is seen as a fisheries management tool with the ability to protect juvenile fish, maintain spawning stocks and control the sizes of fish caught. The MLS sets the smallest size at which a particular species can be legally retained if caught. MLS could be used to protect immature fish ensuring that enough fish survive to grow and spawn, control the numbers and sizes of fish landed, maximize marketing and economic benefits and promote the aesthetic values of fish.