Small-scale fisheries at Lawson's Bay Waltair

Abstract

One of the most important fish landing centres in Andhra Pradesh is perhaps the centre at Lawson's Bay Waltair. Here fishermen from three adjacent fishing villages viz., Jalaripeta, Vasavanipallem and Moolapalem with indigenous and traditional craft and gear land their catches which are chiefly disposed off in local markets. Data on fish catches at Lawsons' Bay collected over a period of 9 years from 1970 to 1978 show that on an average 560 tonnes of fish per annum are landed at this centre. Considering the fact that large scale fishing by mechanised boats has been established and conducted off Visakhapatnam and substantial expansion and exploitation of demersal fisheries are contemplated, the present result is of significance because of the very nature of the small-scale fisheries at Lawson's Bay and there is no reason to believe that conflicts of interest exist.