An appraisal on the marine fishing craft and gear of the Indian coast

Abstract

The use of fishing methods varying from simple traps to large trawlers and from hand lines to sophisticated purse seines is a typical feature of marine fisheries in India. The regional and seasonal variation is so vast that the developmental agencies and administrative machinery are often handicapped in deciding priorities on modernizing the traditional tools. A document as attempted here, would form a piece of vital information for the R&D agencies. The traditional gear operated in different regions of the Indian coast are classified based on the mode of operation and an exhaustive listing along with local names is attempted. Besides, contributions to the marine fish production separately by traditional and modern craft are brie flu noted.