Floats and sinkers in enhancing efficacy of fishing gears operated in Assam water bodies

Abstract

Floats and sinkers are intrinsic components of a fishing gear fabricated for its effectual stability in water mass or to catch a targeted fish species. Different types of floats and sinkers were developed by the fishers of Assam with time to enhance a fishing operation in terms of gear selectivity at a desired water depth, maintaining the desired configuration and its vertical opening. These fishing gear accessories were prepared mostly with locally available materials which are economical in cost, readily available and easy to fabricate. Floats were either made of natural substances such as light wood and grass stalks or synthetic substances such as plastic bottles and thermocole. Similarly, sinkers are also made of jute materials as organic substances and iron and lead as inorganic substances. The requisite quantities of the floats to be fabricated in a gear were determined based on the buoyancy to withstand water pressure whereas sinkers are determined based on the preferred vertical standing of a net in water column or to stretch the net downwards during operation.