Proceedings of the Second Workshop on Scientific Results of FORV Sugar Sampudu

ABSTRACT At attempt is made to analyse the bottom trawl fishing data collected by 91 cmises of FORV Sagar Sampada (1985 - '91). The vessel trawled in 544 stations spread over both the coasts up to a depth of 100 m and catfishes appeared in 54 stations with catch 3 -2401 kg/hr. The dominant species occurred beyond 50 m depth belt was invariably Tachysurus thalassinus whereas shoaling species like T. tenuispinis and T.dussumieri are reported from grounds less than 50 m. The resource has better abundance in 51 -100 m depth belt along northwest and northeast region. INTRODUCTION The estimated potential marine catfish available for exploitation in the Indian EEZ is 123000 tonne out of which 60000 tonne is from depths below 50 m and 63000 tonne from above 50 m depth (Anon, 1991). The annual average production of catfishes during 1988 -1992 period was 44167 tonne showing a general declining trend. This production was achieved chiefly from coastal waters preferably below 50 m depth. The decline in the landing is more marked in the southwest region. In the maritime states of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa the catfish landings have declined drastically from 9960 tonne (1988) to 1029 tonne (1992); 8817 (1988) to 294 tonne (1992); and 3925 (1988) to 123 tonne (1992) respectively. Although the earlier exploratory surveys, acoustic surveys and experimental fishing surveys have located potentially rich catfish fishing grounds along the coasts, the present landings from the shallow grounds registered a continuously dwindling trend. Investigations conducted so far on this important group of demersal fish clearly reveal that the major reasons for the depletion of stocks are brooder/spawner destruction from spawning grounds during a restricted spawning season by a mass harvesting device, the purse seine and irrational removal of juveniles and destruction of their feeding grounds by incesscent coastal bottom trawl operations (Silas et al. 1980; Anon, 1987; James et al. 1989; Bensam & Menon, 1994). Further the stock assessment studies conducted on this group also reveal that 305