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Mudbanks and Fisheries Along the Kerala Coast – Myth and Reality


Affiliations
1 CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa - 403 004, India
2 CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography Regional Centre, Dr Salim Ali Road, Kochi - 682 018, India
3 Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Ernakulam North PO, Kochi - 682 018, India
 

Mudbanks, a unique coastal oceanographic phenomenon occurring along the southwest (SW) coast of India during the SW monsoon season, are synonymous with the fishery of this region. Here we examine the validity of the popular notion that mudbanks directly support rich fisheries, using a high temporal resolution water column data collected from the Alappuzha mudbank region in Kerala during April to September 2014, in conjunction with fisheries data. Our study reveals that the upwelling which occurs during the SW monsoon season along this coast brings oxygen-deficient subsurface water to the upper water column. Escaping the oxygen-depleted waters, the fish aggregate within a thin upper layer allowing easy visual identification and capture of fish shoals. This process occurs throughout the coast and is not confined just to the mudbanks. Mudbank being a calm region, traditional fishermen using non-motorized country craft were able to carry out fishing within this region only during the SW monsoon. With the induction of motorized and mechanized fishing, the link between mudbanks and fisheries is becoming less prominent, although the former still continue to be important fish landing centres.

Keywords

Mudbank, Monsoon, Suspended Sediments, Pelagic and Demersal Fishery, Upwelling.
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  • Mudbanks and Fisheries Along the Kerala Coast – Myth and Reality

Abstract Views: 352  |  PDF Views: 127

Authors

S. Prasanna Kumar
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa - 403 004, India
P. K. Dinesh Kumar
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography Regional Centre, Dr Salim Ali Road, Kochi - 682 018, India
K. R. Muraleedharan
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography Regional Centre, Dr Salim Ali Road, Kochi - 682 018, India
Grinson George
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Ernakulam North PO, Kochi - 682 018, India
Dayana Mathew
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography Regional Centre, Dr Salim Ali Road, Kochi - 682 018, India
V. Kripa
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Ernakulam North PO, Kochi - 682 018, India
R. Jeyabaskaran
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Ernakulam North PO, Kochi - 682 018, India
N. Ramaiah
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa - 403 004, India
A. Gopalakrishnan
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Ernakulam North PO, Kochi - 682 018, India
S. W. A. Naqvi
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa - 403 004, India

Abstract


Mudbanks, a unique coastal oceanographic phenomenon occurring along the southwest (SW) coast of India during the SW monsoon season, are synonymous with the fishery of this region. Here we examine the validity of the popular notion that mudbanks directly support rich fisheries, using a high temporal resolution water column data collected from the Alappuzha mudbank region in Kerala during April to September 2014, in conjunction with fisheries data. Our study reveals that the upwelling which occurs during the SW monsoon season along this coast brings oxygen-deficient subsurface water to the upper water column. Escaping the oxygen-depleted waters, the fish aggregate within a thin upper layer allowing easy visual identification and capture of fish shoals. This process occurs throughout the coast and is not confined just to the mudbanks. Mudbank being a calm region, traditional fishermen using non-motorized country craft were able to carry out fishing within this region only during the SW monsoon. With the induction of motorized and mechanized fishing, the link between mudbanks and fisheries is becoming less prominent, although the former still continue to be important fish landing centres.

Keywords


Mudbank, Monsoon, Suspended Sediments, Pelagic and Demersal Fishery, Upwelling.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv115%2Fi4%2F773-778