Inland Fisheries

5.5.3.4 West coast

The estimated landing of bivalves along the west coast is 52,537 tonnes. Kerala state accounts for 47% of the total landing of clams and cockles. Organized clam fishery takes place in Vembanad and Ashtamudi lakes in Kerala. Vembanad is known for the black clam, Villorita cyprinoides while Asthamudi is known for the shortneck clam Paphia malabarica. Their fishery depends on the export demand. Mussels are the second dominant group, which are gathered all along the coast. Of the several species of clams, Meretrix meretrix, known as bay clam or great clam is the most popular. They are abundant along the coast of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. Another clam, Meretrix casta, is very abundant in all the estuaries and the backwaters along both the coasts. Oyster fishery is limited to certain estuaries like Dharmadam, Vembanad Lake, Kayamkulam and Ashtamudi Lake. Clams and oysters are very popular in Karnataka where the fishery is conducted in the major estuaries like Udayavara, Mulky and Gurupur. Recently, the demand for green mussel has increased and about 2,000 tonnes of Perna viridis were landed during 2000. Information on the bivalve fishery and exploitation along the northwestern states is scanty. Nauxim Bay is famous for the fishery of windowpane oyster where about 8,000 to 10,000 oysters are gathered every day. In Maharashtra, bivalves are collected only in certain regions like Ratnagiri coast. Windowpane oysters and edible oysters are the main bivalve resource of Gujarat. However, there is no well organized bivalve fishery in these regions.