Inland Fisheries

8.2.3 Common Inland Fishing Gears

1. Fixed or Stationary net

These nets are rectangular or conical nets of various shape and size. They are mainly used in the tidal regions of the river or in the shore water during low tide period. They are provided with floats and sinkers to keep the net straightened. The nets are kept fixed to the bottom at the bank of the river. At the time of high tide the water containing fishes pass over the net. When the tide recedes, the fishes are tapped with water in the nets. They are of two kinds: Khalpatta Jal and Bag net or Boat seine.

(a) Khalpatta Jal. This type of net is largely used in Sundarbans, Chilka lake, in the lower reaches of Ganga and Palluvala of Kerala. They are widely used to catch a variety of clupeid fishes and carps. The net is fixed by two bamboo poles. The water is enclosed in a vertically disposed net and the fish is entrapped in the meshes of the net.

(b) Bag net or Boat Seine. It is a triangular conical bag net with a tapering apex and a rectangular mouth, but without wings. The two ends of the mouth are tied with floats. The size of the mouth increases from the bag portion towards the outer flank. This bag net is popular in South India but with different names, e.g. Viaga valai in Andhra Pradesh (bag net with long tapering flanks), ‘thuri valai’ in Madras coast and boat seines in Kerala coast. With the help of the above sort of bag net, small fishes like clupeids, feather backs, etc., are caught from the Ganga basin rivers.