Special team to study the problems of poor catch

Mangalore, June 15 (UNI) Karnataka Fisheries Ministry was keen on setting up of a Special team to study the problems faced by fishermen in catching export quality and money earning fishes along the coast in the State every year, Minister for Fisheries B Nagaraj Shetty said today.

Talking to UNI, he said that though studies on this problem was not new, the special team would focus on the specific issue of drop in fish catch every year. The team would hold detailed consultation with the experts from the Fisheries College here to study and evolve proper strategies for increased and sustainable aquaculture production.

He said that deep sea fishing by the foreign vessels along the coast during the period of fishing ban enforced from June 10 till August 15 was also the one of the reason for fish famine in the region. Meanwhile, a study by the Department of Fisheries Economics had shown that rapid decline in the production of shrimps and mackerel had raised serious doubts of fish famine along the Karnataka coast. The study had also predicted that the fish catch along the west coast would decline from 1.40 lakh MT in 2000 to 1.25 lakh million tonne by 2010.

Though the total fish catch during 2006-07 along the west coast 1.71 lakh million tonne which was higher by a few tonnes when compared to last year's catch, the poor catch of commercially valuable fish catch had brought down the revenue to the fishermen community.

The export of commercial variety of fish like mackerels had also impacted the local market with raise in the prices food fish. The decline in the commercially valuable fish catch was made up by a leap production of non-edible fish used for fish meal, the study added.

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