Hooks and line fishery in North Kerala with particular reference to catfish resources

The paper deals with the hooks and line fishery along North Kerala during 1979-1985. Marine \ncat-fishes were traditionally harvested from this area by non-mechanised gears, such as hooks and line, \ndrift net and boat-seines till early sixties. The operations by hooks and line yielded a steady catch. \nThe catfishes alone contributed about 90% in the hooks and line landings. The dominant species in \nthe landings were Tachysurus tenuispinis, T. dussumieri and T. thalassinus from the depth ranges of 40-70 \nm and T. serratus from 10-30 m. T. tenuispinis is vulnerable to the gear at the age of 3 years and above \nand T. dussumieri, T. thalassinus and T. serratus at the ages 4, 2 and 6 years and above respectively. \nIntroduction of trawlers and purse seiners initially contributed to a sudden hike in its production. \nBut exploitation of juveniles and eggs/embryos carrying male brooders on large-scale, ultimately \nresulted in low recruitment. As brooders are not susceptible to fishery by hooks and line, it is suggested \nto intensify the catfish fishing by this gear.