URCEalAEEIl MARINE FISHERIES INFORMATION SERVICE No. 14 JUNE, JULY, AUGUST 199 TX^ TECHNICAL AND ^c=ft EXTENSION SERIES I CENTRAL MARINE FISHERIES T5^STPT ^^t^«rr^ RESEARCH INSTITUTE cblpclh, ^TTTTT COCHIN, INDIA INDIAN COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
MADRAS FISHERIES HARBOUR - A STATUS REPORT FOR 1995 B. Vivekanandan Madras Research Centre of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Madras - 00 00 Madras Fisheries Harbour is one of the largest fisheries harbours In the east coast of India. It provides base for mechanised as well as indigenous fishing crafts. It is estimated that 480 trawlers, 20 mechanised gill netters, 25 motorised and 200 nonmotorised catamarans make use of this harbour. The annual fish landings in 1995 were 8.251 tonnes; the trawlers contributing 9.1% of the landings. Trawlers The 480 trawlers are of three different length categories, viz. 2', ' and 40-45', with horse-power ranging between 5 and 120. The small trawlers (2 and ') are engaged in daily voyage or occasionally undertake 2 day voyage and operate between Pudhupatnam (south of Madras) sind Sriharikota (north of Madras) in 15-40 m depth. The larger trawlers (40-45') conduct voyages lasting upto days off Nizampatnam, which is 15 km northeast of Madras (Fig. 1). The depth of operation of the larger trawlers is 15-0 m (Table 1). The trawl effort (Fig. 2) and landings (Fig. ), particularly those of the larger trawlers increased over the years. In 1995, about 5% of the total trawl effort (fishing hours) and 59% of the total landings were by the larger trawlers. The smaller trawlers are being phased out gradually. Addition of larger trawlers to the fleet has enabled intensification of fishing in the hitherto underexploited areas. However, most of the trawling activity was restricted to depth within 50 m. The trawlers spent only 7.8% of the total effort in depth beyond 50 m and regdised 10.0% of the total landings (Table 2). 19
TABLE 1. Operational details of fishing vessels in Madras Fisheries Harbour in 1995 Parameters 2' Trawler ' 40-4' Gillnetter Motorised Catamaran Nor >-motorised Cat amaran Number of boats 100 80 00 20 25 200 Engine horsepower 5 90 120 0-10 Duration of voyage 12h 24h 4- days 48h 8h h Area of operation P. patnam S.harikota P. patnam K.patnam off N. patnam Madras- S.harikota off Madras Madras- Pulicat Distance from shore (km) 5-18 5-20 5-15 8-20 2-5 Depth (m) 15-40 15-80 15-0 40-80 <15 >15 Gear Shrimp trawl Drift net Bag, net trammel, net gill net hook & line Fishing hour/unit, -9 15-18 0-50 24 1.5 1.5-5-7 Fishing effort in depth > 50 m (% of total effort) 5 10 50 NU No. of hauls/unit 12-20 2 Duration of haul (h) -5 12 1.5 2 Manpower/unit 5 5-5- 1 Diesel (1/day) 150 150 200 150 Ice (t/unlt) 0. 0.75 0. Flshhold capacity (t) 0.75 5 P.patnam = Pudhupa tnam K.patnam = Rrishnapatn am, N patnam = Nizampatnam, S.harikota = Sriharikota The catch/h increased upto 1991 (110.8 kg/h) subsequently, it declined sharply and was only 48. kg/h in 1995 (Fig. 4). The long voyage trawlers discarded t of trash fish in 1995, which is equivalent to about Rs. crore. The daily voyage trawlers landed the entire catch. In the coastal area between Pudhupatnam and Nizampatnam, the area between 15 and 50 m depth (4,000 sq. km) is being fully exploited by the Madras based trawlers. As the yield per fishing intensity is higher in the depth more than 50 m (98.7 kg/sq.km/oooh) compared to depth less than 50 m (11.8 kg/sq.km/oooh) (Table 4), there is considerable scope to increase the trawling effort beyond 50 m. However, less abundance of shrimps in depth beyond 50 m has forced the trawl operators to restrict fishing in depth less than 50 m. In 199, the tendency of the fishermen is to venture further north of Nizampatnam rather than fish in the deeper waters. Gillnetters There are only 20 mechanised vessels which operate drift gill net. The fishing area of these vessels is between Madras and Sriharikota (Table 1). The effort, catch and catch/h have increased over the years. During 1984-'8 the annual average effort, catch and catch/h were 20,808 h, 270 t and 1.0 kg/h, respectively and in 1995, the corresponding estimates were 47,58 h, 822 t and 17. kg/h. In 1995, about 50% of the landings was from depth more than 50 m. Considering the number performance (Table 2) and operational income (Table ), the number of drift gill netters could be substantially increased. 20
TABLE 2. Effort and catch of mechanised ijessels in Madras Fisheries Harbour during 1995 Parameters Trawler Gillnetter Daily voyage Long voyage Effort Number of vessels 180 Number of units 4,9 Fishing hours <50m >50m catch Landings (t) <50m depth >50m depth Catch/unit (kg) Catch/h (kg) <50m depth >50m depth Mean Trash per unit (kg) t/year,1,500 (95.0%) 1,500 (5.0%) 0,000 1,89 (92.5%) 1,125 (7.5%) 14,994 41 44.2 8.2 45.4 0 2,8 % in total landings 17.5 Discard per unit (kg) t/year % in total landings 700 00 10.84,84,24 (90.0%) 42,7 (10.0%) 427,0 19,077 (87.7%) 2,7 (12.%) 21,75 2,0 49. 2. 50.9 250 12. 250 12. 480 54,47,98,124 (92.2%) 59,2 (7.8%) 757.0 2,94 (89.7%),801 (10.%),747 5,09 14.4 250 7. 20 1,982 2,784 2,784 47,58 411 411 822 415 17. 17. 17. 00-80" 81 Fig. 1. Fishing areas of Madras based vessels. a. Area under trawling (450 sq.km), b. Areas under Intensive trawling (1250 sq.km) by small and large trawlers c. Area under mechanized gill net fishing (270 sq.km), d. Area under artisanal fishing (40 sq.km). Catamaran During the past 15 years a few artisanal gears were introduced and a few others were phased out. Trammel net and pannu valai (gill net) were introduced; madha valai (bag net), ara valai and irukka valai (gill nets) and boat seine were also phased out. The effort of eda valai (bag net), kavaja valai (gill net) and hooks & line increased. The annual landings increased from 29 t (1980-'8) to 82 t (1995; Table 5). 500 400 8 000 uzoo -I'? o 100 84 8 88 90 92 94 Y E R Fig. 2. Estimated annuaj effort of trawlers at Madras. Inset: The increasing effort of long voyage trawlers. All the lines are eyefits. 21
TABLE. Value of fish landiiigs from mechanised vessels in Madras Fisheries Harbour during 1995 Parameters Value (Rs.) Trawler Daily voyage Long voyage Gillnetter of catch/kg 18 4 52 45 Average value of trash/kg 2 2 4 Fish sale/unit 5,058 0,724 5,782 18,75 Trash sale/unit 120 500 20 annual scale (In crores) 22.8 5.4 88.2.7 Annual discard (Rs. In crores) NU Operational expenses/unit (Rs.) Diesel & oil 1,500 10,000 Ice 200 2,000 Labour 11,500 1,500 2,200 50 92 11,020 11,952,75 (18% of total sale) (20% of sale) 2,2 2,020 25,52 5,585 Operational income/unit (Rs.) 2,54 8,204 40,750 1,090 TABLE 4. Area of trawling and yield/fishing intensity of Madras based commercial trawlers Depth (m) 15-50 50-100 15-100 Potential area of trawling (sq.km) 4,000 2,170,170 Area under trawling (sq.km) 4,000 50 4,50 Fishing Yield/fishing intensity intensity (kg)* (h/sq.km) 174.5 11.8 91.1 98.7 12.9 10.4 Yield = Catch (kg)/(trawling area (sq.km) x effort (OOOh)) TABLE 5. Effort, catch and operational income of catamarans in Madras Fislwries Harbour during 1995 Parameters Bag Trammel Gill nets Hooks & net net Kavala Pannu line ualai vakd Effort Number of units Fishing hours Catch Catch (t) Catch/unit (kg) Catch/h (kg) Fish sale (Rs.) Value of catch/kg Annual sale/unit Annual sale (Rs. in lakhs) Ubour (50% of sale) Operational income/ Unit (Rs. in lakhs) 2,2,489 440 189 12 15 2,85 5.9 1,417 1,417 1,055 1,58 4 4 2.5 50-50 800 8.4 400 400 1,888 5,4 4 4 11 204.9 102 102 5,528 22,112 18 25 15 74 20.7 187 187,0 18,200 12 2 50 00 18.2 00 00 1,80 1,048 82 24 147.5 4,81 117.1 2,40 2,40 Fig.. Estimated annual landings of trawlers at Madras. Inset: The increasing contribution of long voyage trawlers. All the lines are eyefits. Fig. 4. Catch (kg/h) of trawlers based at Madras. The line is eyeflt. 22
TABLE. Summary of the quantity and value of the landings in Madras Fisheries Harbour during 1995 Parameters Landings (t) Landings from depth >50m (%) Discard (t) Value (Rs. in crores) Trawl,747 (9.1%) 10. (7.%) 88.2 (94.7%) Gill net 822 (2.1%) 50.0.7 (4.0%) Artisanal 82 (1.8%) 0.0 1.2 (1.%) 8,251 10.9 (7.%) 9.1 Other major developments are motorisation ^f catamaran in the 1990s and introduction of flbreglass boats in 1995. Due to the large scale expansion of the trawl fleet the contribution of the artlsanal sector to the total landings has declined. During 1980- '8 the trawlers contributed 9.7%, gill netters 2.4% and artisanal crafts.9% to the total landings. In 1995 the trawlers contributed 9.1%, gillnetters 2.1% and artisanal crafts 1.8% (Table ). 2