Status of Mechanised Trawl Fishing Fleet of Cochin, Kerala

Abstract

Trawling is one of the most important fishing methods in India. In response to rising demand for seafood in the worldwide markets, fishermen working in the mechanized trawl fishing sector have been forced to venture into deeper waters in search of new fishing grounds and better catch. There have been significant changes in trawl fishery since its introduction and changes in fleet size and overall capacity of trawlers have increased several times over the past three decades, particularly along southwest coast. In this paper, an attempt has been made to document major shift in length overall (LOA), installed engine power of the trawlers in Cochin, central Kerala. This study reveals that trawler with LOA more than 40m having engine up to 591 hp were recently introduced into the fleet. Similarly, trawls with head rope length ranging from 45.0-122m were seen in operation. The mesh size of the wings in fish and cephalopod trawls showed a clear increasing trend. Square mesh codend were not found to be in use, in spite of the concerted effort of different agencies. This study point out the need for strict implementation of regulations with regard to vessel size, engine power, size of the trawl net, codend type and mesh size. Periodic inspection of fishing units to ensure responsible fishing is highly essential to protect coastal fishery resources in India.