Decline in predatory marine species a cause for alarm

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Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsThe increasing attacks on fishing nets by marine species in the last few years have cost the fishermen in Kerala and Karnataka lakhs of rupees. But scientists believe that the increase in the number of such shoals of fish, spell trouble not just for the fishermen.“The increasing number of the puffer fishes is a symptom of the larger depletion in the number of predatory fishes. In any ecosystem, the predators are the ones who control the population and maintain the food pyramid.“Hence, the depletion of predators, be it tigers on the land or sharks in the ocean, raise a lot of ecological concerns. The predatory control over the smaller shoals is lost because of the depletion of the larger species,” said K Sunil Mohamed, head of the Molluscan Fisheries Division.The major marine species that feed upon puffer fish are catfish, seer fish and shark. Catfish has now been identified as ‘collapsed stock’ as its catch has reduced to less than 5 per cent of the baseline catch of 1970-2002 along the Kerala and Karnataka coasts.As per the figures of the CMFRI, between 2003-2005, the catch of catfish has gone down to 0.7 per cent of the baseline catch in Kerala and to 2.86 in Karnataka.The sharks too have had a similar fate. The catch has gone down from 33,913 in 1996 to 29,129 in 2009.However, the fishermen in the state blame it on the increasing number of foreign vessels in the waters.“In the case of sharks, there is large-scale exploitation of the species, especially by the modernised foreign vessels which have been allowed to ship in our waters in the last few years. Since several south-east Asian countries have put restrictions on catching fishes like these the foreign vessels target the Indian waters to cater to the high demand in these places,” said General Secretary of the All Kerala Boat Owners Association, Joseph Kallapurackal.first published:August 15, 2012, 08:25 ISTlast updated:August 15, 2012, 08:25 IST
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The increasing attacks on fishing nets by marine species in the last few years have cost the fishermen in Kerala and Karnataka lakhs of rupees. But scientists believe that the increase in the number of such shoals of fish, spell trouble not just for the fishermen.

“The increasing number of the puffer fishes is a symptom of the larger depletion in the number of predatory fishes. In any ecosystem, the predators are the ones who control the population and maintain the food pyramid.

“Hence, the depletion of predators, be it tigers on the land or sharks in the ocean, raise a lot of ecological concerns. The predatory control over the smaller shoals is lost because of the depletion of the larger species,” said K Sunil Mohamed, head of the Molluscan Fisheries Division.

The major marine species that feed upon puffer fish are catfish, seer fish and shark. Catfish has now been identified as ‘collapsed stock’ as its catch has reduced to less than 5 per cent of the baseline catch of 1970-2002 along the Kerala and Karnataka coasts.

As per the figures of the CMFRI, between 2003-2005, the catch of catfish has gone down to 0.7 per cent of the baseline catch in Kerala and to 2.86 in Karnataka.

The sharks too have had a similar fate. The catch has gone down from 33,913 in 1996 to 29,129 in 2009.

However, the fishermen in the state blame it on the increasing number of foreign vessels in the waters.

“In the case of sharks, there is large-scale exploitation of the species, especially by the modernised foreign vessels which have been allowed to ship in our waters in the last few years. Since several south-east Asian countries have put restrictions on catching fishes like these the foreign vessels target the Indian waters to cater to the high demand in these places,” said General Secretary of the All Kerala Boat Owners Association, Joseph Kallapurackal.