KOCHI: Amid huge shortage in fishing catches, there’s an urgent need to look and regulate the trawl fishery, which is also contributing to the growing concern in the fisheries sector, according to a study by the researchers of the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (Kufos).
The study calls for an urgent need for strict implementation of regulations about vessel size, engine power, size of the trawl, codend type and mesh size. Periodic inspection is the need of the hour, says the study ‘Structural change in the mechanised trawl fishing fleet of Kerala’, which was presented at the recently concluded annual conference on sustainable ecosystems organized by the department of aquatic biology, Kerala University. The study was based on the data collected from 40 trawlers from January to June 2021 in the four fishing harbours in Ernakulam Thoppumpady, Kalamukku, Murikkumpadam and Munambam. Using a questionnaire, information was collected from fishermen, boat owners, net makers and other stakeholders.
