CLUPEID FISHERY EXCEPT

SARDINES IN INDIA

VISHNURAJ R S

INTRODUCTION• The world’s fisheries provide about 2.6 billion people with at least 20 per cent of their

average annual per capita protein intake (FAO, 2007).• . Asia contributes to 63.17 % fish production in the world. • India , prime position amongst South Asian countries - 71 per cent in this region (FAO,

2008).• The fishery resources of India - 1,570 species of finfishes and about 1,000 species of

shellfishes.• Important groups of marine fisheries resources• (i) Pelagic resources -oil sardine, mackerel, seer fish, tuna, lesser sardine, anchovies and

ribbon fishes• (ii) demersal resources - perches, sciaenids, catfishes, polynemids, flat fishes, pomfrets,• eels, sharks, skates, rays and fishes

• (iii) Mid-water resources - Bombay duck, silver-bellies and horse mackerel).

• (iv) Crustacean resources -prawns, shrimps, lobsters and crabs)

• (v) Molluscan resources -oysters, mussels, clams, chanks, squids and cuttlefishes

• (vi) Seaweed resources

• Clupeids - 38% marine fish landings in India. The decadal average landings of clupeids

increased from 1, 73,299 t in 1950-60 to 7, 39,135 t during 2001-10.

• Important group of pelagic food fishes of Clupeids - oilsardines (Sardinella longiceps),

• Lesser sardines (Sardinella albella, Sardinella gibbosa, Sardinella fimbriata and

Sardinella sirm), white baits (Stolephorus spp.,Enchrasicholina spp.) and anchovies

(Thryssa spp., Setipinna spp. and Coilia spp.).

CLUPEIDS• The Clupeidae (Latin: "sardine") the family of the herrings, shads, sardines ,hilsa,

and menhadens.

• Body protected with shiny cycloid scales (very smooth and uniform scales), A

single dorsal fin, with a fusiform body.

• No species has scales on the head, and some are entirely scale less. The lateral line is

short or absent, and the teeth are unusually small where they are present at all.

• The adults typically live in large shoals

ANCHOVIES• Distribution: widely distributed along Indian cost

• Indian anchovies - Stolephorus, Coilia, Thryssa and Thryssina.

• Production trends: average annual catch during 1990-2008 was 0.130

million tonne, constituting 10% of the total pelagic fish production in

India.

• The annual landings ranged from 0.105 million tonnes in 1987 to 0.166

million in 1991.

• White baits were the most important with current (1990 to 2008) average fish landings of

55,415 tonnes forming 43% of the overall anchovy production of 0.127 million tonnes.

• Grenadier anchovy Coilia dussumieri and Thryssa formed 27% each and Settipinna 3%.

Whitebaits

• A group of small pelagic fishes belonging to genus stolephorus and Encrasicholina .

• Contributed on an average 55,415 tonnes(1990 to 2008) forming 2% of the total marine

fish landings in the country.

• Ten species of whitebaits, viz. Encrasicholina devisi, E.heterolobus, E.punctifer

(Stolephorus buccaneeri), Stolephorus andhraensis, S.baganensis(S.macrops),

S.commersonii, S.dubiosus, S.indicus, S.insularis and S.waitei(S.bataviensis),

• Means of exploitation

• The major gears - boat seines, shore-seines, bagnets and gill nets operated mainly by the

catamarams and other small country crafts.

• Purse-seine, ring seine and trawl nets are also effectively used in fishery.

• In the south-east and the south-west coasts, the most common gears exploiting whitebaits

include boat seines (cod-end stretched mesh size:10mm) and shore sienes (cod-end

stretched mesh10-20mm).

• On the south-west coast gill-net known as netholivala (mesh15mm)

• The fishing season

• Differs from place to place : October- March in Karnataka,

July-December in Kerala, April –December in Tamil Nadu and October- March in

Andhra Pradhesh.

• Exhibit seasonal migration

• Biology :

• The whitebaits fishery is supported by fishes of the’0’year

• They are multiple spawners with an extended spawning season starting from November

and lasting till July.

Utilization:

• Most of the white baits catch is consumed fresh.

• in times of glut when dried and send sent to interior markets

• A small fraction of fresh fish is used as baits

Management:

• Whitebaits are annually renewable resources

• Increasing fishing pressure during peak seasons is a practical option to enhance

whitebait’s production.

• A potential yield of 240,000tonnes was estimated for whitebaits in the EEZ of India.

COURTSY: http://www.fishbase.us/Photos/PicturesSummary.php?ID=586&what=species

Thryssa

COURTSY:http://www.fishbase.org/images/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Enpun_u1.jpg

ENCRASSICHOLINA

COURTSY:http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/images/species/stind_u0.jpg

Stolephorus indicus

GOLDEN ANCHOVY (Coilia dussumieri)

• An endemic resource in Maharashtra and Gujarat along the north-west coast of India.

• The species exhibit discontinuous distribution and constitutes a fishery in West Bengal and

Odisha along with other species (C. ramcarti).

• It is an important pelagic resource found in association with Bombay-duck and non-penaeid

prawns.

Production trends:

• The golden anchovy (Coilia dussumieri)landings ranged from 36,200 tonnes (1990 ) to

30,795 tonnes in 2008.

• To 1980 in dolnet was the sole gear that contributed to entire catch. The trawlers commenced

in 1985 in dolnet zone and since then the contribution of trawl catch is on the increases.

• During 1986-90 trawl and dol contributed 38% and 60%, while during 1996-2000

contribution by trawl increased to 70% of the total catch.

• Landings of golden anchovy during the last 15years indicated that a decline in landings.• The management strategies cannot be considered in isolation.• In a multi-species fishery, difficult to suggest optimum mesh size for each species.

Courtsy:http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/PicturesSummary.php?ID=625&what=species

Coilia dussumieri

SHADS• The Hilsa shad (Hilsa (Tenualosa) ilisha), is well known for its commercial fishery in the

northeast.• shad spends most of its life in the inshore areas of the sea and undertakes extensive

migrations • It is delicious and possibly the most highly priced fish in the Indian markets.

• Annual catch of shad increased from 19,456 tonnes in1999 to 59,864 tonnes in 2008 with

an average production of 40,810 tonnes.

• The T. Ilisha contributed 82% (average: 33,307 tonnes).

• The gill-netters contributed the bulk of the shad catches in the north-east coast.

• The bulk of the fishery is constituted in the size range of 260mm to480mm.

• The shads other than hilsa shad from fisheries in all regions,

COURTSY: http://www.fishbase.org/images/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Teili_u0.jpg

Hilsa (Tenualosa) ilisha

OTHER CLUPEIDS• The wolf-herrings(Chirocentrus dorab) forms a fishery, and contributes about 0.7% to total

all-India landings (20,688 tonnes during 2008) of which about 45% comes from north-east

coast.

• Clupeids consisting of species Dussumiera, Escualosa, Ilisha, Nematolosa, Opisthopterus,

Pellona, Reconda, Dorosoma and Chanos together accounted for an annual average of

49,248 tonnes during 1990-2008; 1.8% of the total all India landing.

CONCLUSION• Marine capture fisheries is an important source of income

• Clupeids formed more than 20% of marine fish landings in India (38%).

• Oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) remained as the most important single species contributing

13.1% to the total marine fish landings in the country.

• whitebaits are the dominant component of the anchovy landings in India.

• This resource contributed on an average 55,415 tonnes(1990 to 2008) forming 2% of the total

marine fish landings

• The golden anchovy (Coilia dussumieri)landings ranged from 36,200 tonnes (1990 ) to 30,795

tonnes in 2008.

• The Hilsa shad (Hilsa (Tenualosa) ilisha), from 1999-2008, the annual catch

increased from 19,456 tonnes in1999 to 59,864 tonnes in 2008 with an average

production of 40,810 tonnes.

• The T. Ilisha alone contributed 82% (average: 33,307 tonnes)in total shad

landing.