Coastal Aquaculture and Mariculture

Unit 8- Deep sea fisheries

8.1.7. Problems in artisanal deep sea fishing

• Prolonged absence from family
• Safety and security at destinations
• Problems in marketing

The artisanal group display many distinct features which place them in a unique category among deep-sea-fishing groups and distinguish them from other artisanal groups. Its uniqueness lies in two aspects, technological and socio-cultural.
Technological
The technological features that make them different are the following:

• Deployment of different combinations of fishing gear targeting a variety of fish species.
• Extensive and migratory fishing over the entire west coast of India.
• Low cost but highly skilled and knowledge-based technology employed without resort to costly electronic equipment meant for deep-sea fishing.
• Use of simple and comparatively low-cost fishing crafts.
• Continuous and sustained improvement in fishing techniques and gear in response to the fluctuations in resource base.
• Long-stay weekly fishing extending up to seven days.
• Use of mechanical energy for reaching the fishing ground and non-use of mechanical energy for operation of fishing gears.
• Use of indigenous and traditional skills appropriate to the local resource base.
• Selective fishing by using a particular size of mesh in gill-nets and hook-size in long lines.
• Non-destructive, sustainable, eco-friendly and selective fishing, avoiding young fishes and other flora and fauna unlike in trawler-fishing.

Through continuous interaction, artisanal fishermen have learnt tlle hidden intricacies of the vast expanses of the sea. They have rich knowledge of the pattern of ocean currents during each season, and of plankton bloom and its correlation with fish production. By merely looking at the colour of the sea i.e., plankton bloom they predict the immediate fishing potential and the species that would be available, by correlating the food chain and the annual weather cycle. They are aware of the complexities of tropical fishery and the availability of a variety of species in small quantities at different seasons. Accordingly, they have designed and fabricated a variety of fishing gear to catch diverse species of fish available at different seasons of the year. Artisanal fishermen have gained mastery over the fishing gear by constant interaction with the sea under compulsions of earning a 1ivelihood. None is more concerned than the fishermen to ensure the sustainability of resources of the size. The design details of their fishing gear and their fishing methods incorporate features to ensure sustainability and the sharing of common property resources.
The genuine community perspectives of sharing and sustainability are reflected in the mix of practices and the technology employed listed below:

• Excluding juveniles by selecting a combination of netting with different mesh size and selecting different sizes of hook for different lines.
• Use of different fishing gears to target different species and sizes offish (eg. 10 mm small meshed net for catching anchovies and 250 mm large meshed nets for large shark).
• Passive methods followed for fishing in which fish come and get entangled instead of chasing and catching them with active gear using high techniques and large equipment.

The commercial fishing gear designed by gear technologists has greater catching efficiency, But does not take care of the other subtle intricacies of fishery particu1arly fisheries of tropical areas. These gears are 'active' in nature - chasing the fish with intricate equipment and using large amounts of mechanical energy unlike in traditional fishing which uses shooting and hauling of the gear (e.g. in trawling and purse seining). The features the gear used, that is, whether it is passive or active have a direct implication for the sustainability and economic viability of fishing operations. The choice of technique determines the volume and quality of output and the pattern of its sharing. Striking contrasts exist in these respects between artisanal deep-sea fishing and Indian deep-sea fishing using trawlers.
Socio-cultural
Deep-sea artisanal fishing has evolved as a continual improvement process over centuries in the social and cultural setting of the coastal areas of Kerala and has enjoyed favourable market conditions for its output, particularly for shark and shark products. The major features of the socio-cultural features include the following.

• Inherited knowledge system and traditional skills acquired through trans- generational processes.
• Accumulated knowledge gained from continuous interaction with the sea
• Initiation of the learning process from early childhood.
• Skill development through responsible methods of learning in a community context.
• Proactive and timely responses to changing fishing technology over time.
• Continuous assimilation of positive features of traditional fishing practices in the system.
• Positive and ready response to potential opportunities in the market.
• Capability to pursue risky and adventurous economic activity in competition with modern technology and capital-intensive corporate business.

As nearly one-third of the marine fisheries potential remains to be exploited from the deep-sea and far-sea sectors in the Indian EEZ, the country should develop immediate strategies for optimal utilization of these resources and for emerging as a major distant-water fishing nation in the international waters.