5.3.5 Nethravathi and other adjacent estuaries

5.3.5 Nethravathi and other adjacent estuaries

A large number of estuaries are found in the South Kanara district in Karnataka, of which the Nethravathi-Gurupur estuary and the estuaries at Choodapur are the most important. The fish catches in the estuaries consist of Sillago spp. Thrissocles spp. Anadontostoma chacunda, Ambassis sp., Ilisha indica, Kowala coval, Platycephalus sp., Lutjanus spp., Gerrus spp., Leiognathus spp., Sphyraena spp., Mugil spp., Hemiramphus spp., Tenthis spp., Stolephorus indica, Caranx spp., Chironemus spp., Belone spp., Epinephelus spp., Tachysurus spp., Pseudosciaena spp., Therapon jarbua, Mystus gulio sp. etc. Fish population in the estuaries is mainly composed of the juveniles and immature individuals. Estuaries are a potential source of brackishwater fish seed especially milk fish and mullet. Crustacean resources are limited. Prawns are more abundant than crabs. Metapenaeus dobsoni, M. monoceros and F. indicus are the dominant prawns and Scylla serrata, the crab. Clams form a regular fishery of local importance. Important gears are shore seines, gill nets, cast nets, hook and line and mini-otter trawls. Crabs are caught in bottom set gill nets used for the capture of other fishes.

Last modified: Wednesday, 27 June 2012, 10:04 AM