Coastal Aquaculture and Mariculture

Unit 7- Molluscan resources

7.2.1. Mode of exploitation
Bivalve fishing
Fishing methods for bivalves are simple, using non-mechanized gear ranging from manual picking to hand operated dredges. Clams are handpicked by men and women usually during low tide. In the shallow estuaries and sandy beaches, fishers usually remove the sand by their feet or by wooden or metal plates and pick out the buried clams. About 50 kg of clams are fished within 3 to 4 hours daily. A scoop net made of semicircular iron frame and nylon net of 30 mm mesh size is used for fishing clams. In deeper areas, fishermen go out in pairs, dive in turns and collect clams. In Kakinada Bay, Shoe Dhoni is used for clam collection with a fishing trip extending from 3 to 4 consecutive days. Oysters are gathered by separating them from the rocky substratum with knife. Mussels are also collected in the similar way. but those in the subtidal regions are collected by diving.
Fishing season
The fishing season is usually during the post and premonsoon period. In certain estuaries of Goa, the clam fishery is mainly during the monsoon period when there is no marine fishing activity.