JOIN USWith a view of protecting the fisheries resources by conserving the juvenile population, the department of fisheries in Karnataka has notified Minimum Legal Size (MLS) for catching 19 species of fish.
The department has directed the fishermen not to catch 19 varieties of fishes below the minimum legal size.
The order is based on the recommendations of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi. The order was passed under Karnataka Marine Fisheries (Regulation) Act 1986 Section 3, subsection 2.
In fact, CMFRI had recommended MLS for 72 species of fishes in four categories of pelagic stocks, demersal stocks, crustaceans and molluscs, said CMFRI, Kochi Director Dr Gopalakrishnan.
Kerala has already implemented the MLS for 58 fish species to check juvenile fishing. MLS is a fisheries management tool with the ability to protect juvenile fish, maintain spawning stocks and control the sizes of fish caught.
Despite MLS, juvenile fish are caught by a few fishermen, said Dr Praveen Puthran, Assistant Director General (Marine Fisheries), ICAR, New Delhi.
Notified fishes
The MLS fishes that are notified in Karnataka are sardine (10 cm), Mackerel (14 cm), Trichiurus lepturus or locally called Pambol (46 cm), seer fish (50 cm), Encrasicholina devisi or locally called Kollatharu (7cm), Parastomateus niger or Black pomfret (17 cm), Auxis richei or tuna locally called Kedaar (31 cm), Sillago Sihama or Kaane (11.3 cm), Esculosa thoracata or Bolanjir (8.9 cm), Nemipterus japonicus (Japanese threadfin bream) or Madmal (12 cm), Priacanthus bamrur or Disco (17 cm), Lactarius lactarius or Ade meenu (10 cm), Cynoglossus macrostomus or Nang or solefish (9 cm), White Pomfret (13 cm), Epinephlelus diacanthus or Muru meenu (18 cm), Kallooru (15 cm), Otolithes ruber or croaker or Koddai (17 cm), Uroteuthis photololigo duvauceli or Kolu Bondas or Indian squid (8 cm) and Kappe Bandas or cuttle fish (11 cm). The fisheries department has warned of initiating action against those who violate the MLS regulations.
Declined
The Indian Mackerel catch has declined by 1.49 % while Threadfin breams catch has increased by 16 % in 2018. While the catch of Cephalopods has reduced by 12 %, Non-penaeid prawns has declined by 5 % and Ribbonfish declined by 19 %, according to CMFRI Director.