and - A Promising Resource from the Seas Around India

Sqiuds, cuttlefishes and octo­ State Average % in all In recent years, CMFRI has puses are collectively known as annual India catch cephalo- strengthened its research inves­ , a group of inver­ (t) pod catch tigations on resour­ tebrates under phylum . ces and observations are made Realising the food value of Gujarat 6,056 16.7 from the research centres of this sqiuds and cuttlefishes there has Maharashtra 12,360 34.1 Institute at Veraval, Bombay, Karnataka Mangalore, Cochin, Mandapam, been some kind of sustenance 1,710 4.7 Goa 734 2.0 Madras and Visakhapatnam. Be­ fishery for this group since ear­ Kerala 10,287 28.3 sides studying the catch, effort ly times in our country. When Tamilnadu 4,281 11.8 and species composition, stock the trawling for shrimps got its Pondicherry 51 0.1 assessment of this group is also momentum since the early six­ Andhra Pradesh 682 1.9 being made for the inshore and ties, squids and cuttlefishes used Orissa 108 0.3 off shore regions. The dominant to occur as by-catches in consi­ West Bengal 14 — species composition at different derable quantities. But these Lakshadweep 10 — centres is given below : were used to be discarded into the sea as they had no commer­ cial importance then. However, Centres in recent years a good export Species market has come into being for SQUIDS this group and hence increasing quantities of squids and cuttle­ Loligo duvauceli all centres fishes are now landed from the Loligo uyii Madras trawl catches. Still there is no organised or directed fishery for Doryteuthis singhalensis Vizhinjam and Cochin this group. Doryteuthis sibogae Vizhinjam and Madras Sepioteuthis lessoniana Mandapam The average production of squids and cuttlefishes at pre­ CUTTLEFISHES sent is estimated around 40,000 Sepia pharaonis all centres tonnes contributing to about Sepia aculeata all centres 2% of the all India marine fish Cochin and Veraval production. Seventyfive- 90% of Sepia elliptica the catch comes from the west Sepia brevimana Madras coast as trawl fishing is heavily Madras concentrated in the region. The inermis all centres rest of the catch is landed at centres along the east coast.

The average annual production vulgaris 1985-87 in the different mari­ Octopus cyaneus Lakshadweep time States of India is given in Octopus membranaceus the following Table : The data on catch per unit effort observed over a period of years indicated that CPUE was of higher magnitude in the ob­ servation centres like Bombay, \VA --. Veraval, Sakthikulangara, Mad­ ras and Visak+iapatnam. These are thus the leading cen­ tres for cephalopod production in the country.

Export of cephalopods : The range of cephalopod pro­ ducts exported include frozen , frozen cuttlefish fil­ lets, frozen squids, dried squids & cuttlefishes, and cuttlebones. The cuttlebone was the first item to be exported from 1966 on­ wards and others followed from 1973. An average quantity of 9,500 tonnes of cephalopod pro­ ducts valued at Rs 198 million was exported from India during 1985-87.

Potential resources of squids and cuttlefishes : In view of the importance of economy of the fisheries sector, the cephalopod resuorces in the exploratory surveys have been undertaken by different govern­ ment agencies to locate poten­ tial grounds for the group.

The erstwhile Pelagic Fishery Project in its survey beyond the traditional fishing grounds has Sepia pharaonis, a commercially important cuttlefish indicated good concentrations of squids and cuttlefishes off the depth range of 60-80 m. Trawl potential for the exploitation of south west coast and in the Gulf surveys by FORV Sagar Sam- oceanic squids was recognized. Mannar. The exploratory surveys padd have indicated good con­ by the vessels of Fishery Survey centrations of cuttlefishes and The cephalopod potential for of India off the Kerala coast and squids along the west coast in the Indian EEZ is estimated at Wadge Bank have indicated 180,000 tonnes. The estimates the 50-200 m depth zone. good cephalopod catch rates. for Eastern Arabian Sea are Survey by M. T. Muraena has During the surveys by R. V- 50,000 and Bay of Bengal are also given similar indications Varuna in the Arabian Sea, R.V. — 100,000 tonnes and 100,000* for the north west coast. The Shoyo Mara in the north Ara­ — 150,000 tonnes respectively. foreign vessels operating under bian Sea and FORV Sagar A harvest potential of 50,000 charter in Indian EEZ had a Sampada erf fVorth west coast tonnes from the neretic sector catch rate of 106 kg/hr in the and north east coasts, the high and at 25,000 — 50,000 tonnes

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Oceanic Automatic Squid jigging machine in operation Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis

from oceanic sector are also esti­ and cuttlefishes. There is consi­ ly successful methods employed mated. derable gap between the poten­ in Japan. Experimental fishing tial estimates and actual produc­ with these gears was first attem­ The need for aimed fishery tion. Experimental fishing with pted by Marine Products Export for cephalopods : high opening bottom trawls have Development Authority in 1985 Though the cephalopod pro­ indicated that this gear could which showed that these me­ duction in the country has in­ be successfully employed for in­ thods were technically feasible. creased since 1973, much grea­ creasing cephalopod production. ter harvest could be made Squid jigging and fishing with Recently a squid jigging pro­ through aimed fishery for squids stick-held dip nets are two high- gramme aiming at training In­ dian personnel in the operation of the gear and testing the tech­ nical feasibility has been under­ taken with a Japanese consultant under the auspices of Central Institute of Fisheries, Nautical & Engineering Training and Fi­ shery Survey of India with the scientific involvement of CMFRI. Two vessels, M. V. Matsya su- gundhi of FSI and MFV Blue- fin of CIFNET rigged for auto­ matic jigging are operating along south west coast. Encour­ aging results have been obtained off Quilon and off Vizhinjam coasts. This programme is ex­ pected to provide information on the commercial viability of this Hand Squid jigging unit modern method in our waters.

4 Squid jigging involves simple, Technique of squid jigging drums and the line is released gear and operation techniques automatically to required depths, with moderate capital invest­ Squid jigging is either done and on reachingthe set depth it ment. Two thirds of Japan's pro­ with manually operated hand is hauled back. The operation is duction is contributed by this line units or with automatic me­ gear. Squid jigging is a fishing repeated automatically-. The jigs chanised units. But in either method developed basically tak­ and the units are designed in case, the principle involved is the ing into consideration the beha­ such a way that the hooked same. A jig is nothing but an viour of squids in response to squids drop on board automati­ artificial bait. It has spindle certain physical factors like cally when hauled up. shaped body made of coloured light etc. Squids are fast grow-% ing which naturally makes them hard or soft synthetic material voracious in their feeding ha­ with two sets of sharply point­ Incandescent or halogen lamps ' bits. They prey upon anything ed hooks arranged in crown like coming in their way, be it crusta­ clusters. Jigs are attached to mo­ of 1 to 4 KW power are 'used ceans, finfishes or their own nofilament lines at one metre for attracting squids. It has been kind. They congregate in schools interval. The line is wound observed in Japanese waters and are generally found in the round on to a drum which is that the squids concentrate in deep scattering layers which are cylindrical in hand line units or the boundary between light and rich in forage organisms. They elliptical in mechanised units. shade. Stability of the craft in­ are attracted by artificial lights. The line is released into the wa­ creases the operational efficien­ All these behavioural aspects ter through out board rollers. A cy and for this purpose special have been fruitfully utilised in sinker is attached to the line. type of anchors known as para­ catching them with jigs. The automatic unit has two such chute anchors are used.

Training programmme on sampling techniques for assessment of exploiteslotted marine fishery resources

A ten days programme on Sampling Techniques for assess­ ment of exploited marine fishery resources was organised by CMFRI at Cochin from ,12-22 De­ cember, for the benefit of fishery officials of maritime sta­ tes. The course was attended by 8 officers deputed from the Fi­ sheries Departments of Gujarat, •Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, An- i Njhra Pradesh and Kerala.

UtThe participants were intro-. weed to the latest methodolo- •s in sampling, collection of Btta on effort and estimation of •ferine fish production. Exten- Eve practical training in both Dr P. S. B. R. James, Director, CMFRI delivering the •Moratory and field was part of presidential address at the valedictory meeting. Seated is fte training programme. Dr Sathiarajan, Director, IFP.

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