The Indian Mackerel

Abstract

The Indian mackerel, Rastrelliger kanagurta is one of the most important pelagic fish resources of India in the context of national food security. The vernacular name of the species is Bangada in Gujarati, Banguda in Kannada, Ayila in Malayalam, Kumla in Tamil and Kanagurta and Kangadathalu in Telugu. Its fishery is second in importance to that of oil sardine in the multispecies marine fishery of India exploiting hundreds of species commercially. The resource contributed on an average 8.6 % to the total marine fish production in the country during 1985-2000. During the last decade (1990-99) the average annual catch of this species amounted to 0.19 million tonnes. Though distributed all along the Indian coast, the resource supports a fishery of high magnitude along the west coast where it contributed 10.2 % of the total marine fish catch during 1985-2000 whereas the contribution from the east coast was only 4.9%. Being a planktivore, the fish enjoys a very important status in the marine food chain playing a major role in converting the abundant primary and secondary production in the coastal waters and form effective links to higher carnivores that support major fisheries in the ecosystem.