An appraisal of the fisheries resources of the coastal waters of Madras state

Chacko, P I (1973) An appraisal of the fisheries resources of the coastal waters of Madras state. In: Proceedings of the symposium on living resources of the seas around India, 1968, Mandapam Camp.

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Abstract

The Madras State has a coastline of 620 miles with an inshore belt of 9,000 sq. miles and a continental shelf of 30,000 sq. miles. The Bay of Bengal, Palk Strait, Gulf of Mannar and the Arabian Sea with their varied hydrobiological conditions contribute to varied fisheries resources. Exploitation is confined to the coastal areas, within 10 fathoms, with non-powered indigenous crafts. But, with introduction of motorised boats, the annual catch has increased to four times from 44,000 tonnes in 1950-51 to 1,75,000 tonnes in 1966-67. Offshore fishing grounds between 10 and 40 fathoms have an estimated stock of 84,000 tonnes, mostly of mackerels, tunas, sea-breams, rock-cods and shrimps for immediate exploitation. The Wadge Bank extending over 4,000 sq. miles off Cape Comorin sustains a large reserve of demersal fishes and provides scope for expansion of trawling with larger vessels.

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