Status of Bycatch from Commercial Trawlers Operated off Central Kerala

Abstract

Bycatch and discards in trawl fishing is a serious issue that requires prompt interventions. Different management measures are being followed to mitigate this issue among which gear based technical measures like BRDs are widely used. Characterization of bycatch with regard to the type and sizes are very important inputs for development and implementation of any management regulation in a fishery. The purpose of this study was to quantify the total bycatch and also the incidence of juveniles in the bycatch generated by commercial trawlers operating off Central Kerala During the study, 67 species from 25 families were identified in the trawl catch. The catch included 51 species of fishes, 7 species of shrimps, 5 species of crabs, 3 species of cephalopods and 1 species of stomatopod. The study also compared average length of commercially important species obtained during the premonsoon and post-monsoon period with that of the Minimal Legal Size (MLS). 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. About 84% of the bycatch was observed to be juveniles during the study. From the total catch observed from the 27 trawlers, 72% of the catch was targeted catch and 28% was bycatch.