Present status of exploitation of fish and shellfish resources :Threadfin breams

Threadfin breams, an important demersal fishery resource along the Indian west coast, are mainly exploited by small commercial trawlers in depths upto about 50 m. These fishes are more abundant in relatively deeper waters beyond 50 m and are known to move into shallower areas during monsoon period along southwest coast. Along Kerala Coast, maximum catches and catch rates are obtained during monsoon period. There is no significant trawling along Maharashtra and practically no trawling along Kamataka and Gujarat Coasts during monsoon period. Two species viz. Nemipterus japonicus and N. mesoprion, contribute to the fishery and along Kerala Coast, the latter species is the principal one during monsoon perioid and the former in other period. Along the coasts of other States in the west coast, the principal species is N. japonicus in all seasons. Fishes of larger lengths are caught in monsoon period and of smaller lengths in postmonsoon period at Cochin. At Bombay, the average length is highest during the postmonsoon and lowest during monsoon in N. japonicus. Nemipterids spawn over longer periods and in N. japonicus peak spawning takes place during monsoon at Cochin and Bombay, during postmonsoon at Veraval and partly during post and premonsoon periods at Mangalore. In N. mesoprion, peak spawning takes place during pxwtmonsoon period at Cochin and Veraval and during monsoon period at Bombay. The available information and data on distribution during different seasons, on various aspects of biology and on present exploitatton of stocks of threadfin breams along the west coast are considered for a detailed discussion and suggestions on different management options are given.