ON THE COMMERCIAL TRAWL FISHERY OFF VERAVAL DURING 1979-1982

Estimated annual fish landings by the commercial trawlers at Veraval fluctuated between 22,221 t (in 1980-81) and 31,380 t (in 1981-82) during the three years from 1979 to 1982. The catches of individual groups varied at random without showing any seasonal trend. The prawns, for which the trawlers were mainly operating, were only 7.8% of the total catch. The other important constituents, which were landed more as bycatches, were small sciaenids (20%), ribbonfish (9%), threadfin breams (5.3%), white fish (5.1%), perches (4.7%), clupeids (4.2%), elasmobranchs (3.9%), eels (3.1%), flat fishes (3.1%) and cephalopods (4.4%). Parapenaeopsis stylifera was the dominant species of prawn, forming 20-31% of the prawn landings. A comparison of the present catch rate, total landing and species composition with those of the previous years shows that the demersal fishery resources off Veraval, particularly that of prawns, are under a strain of overfishing due to the year-to-year increase of shrimp trawlers and the fishery is becoming increasingly uneconomic. If at least a part of the efforts of these shrimp trawlers are diverted to slightly deeper grounds for exploiting finfish, it may be possible not only to make the trawling more economic, but also to sustain the present prawn stock of the inshore region.