KOCHI:The Network for Fish Quality Management and Sustainable Fishing (NETFISH) will officially announce findings of the field trials conducted using trawl nets with ‘square mesh codend’, an initiative towards popularising sustainable fishing practices, at a function to be held at Vyasamandiram, Munambam Harbour, at 10:00 am on Monday.
The trials conducted by the NETFISH, a division of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), off the Munambam coast in March this year had demonstrated the advantages of using square mesh codend developed by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT).
“As part of popularising sustainable fishing methods among the fisherfolk, we are planning to demonstrate findings of the trials to the public, on the occasion of the World Ocean Day. It has been confirmed that square mesh codend allows more juveniles, small creatures and tiny crabs to escape the trawl nets, compared to the conventional mesh of the same size,” said NETFISH state coordinator N K Santhosh. It was found that square mesh trawl net retained only big fish inside it, and that it reduced fuel consumption.
“Shifting to square mesh codend will benefit the fishermen in the near future. Organisations in the fisheries sector should come forward to adopt the changes and enforce self regulation,” said NETFISH chief executive office Dr Joice V Thomas. “The specially designed square mesh codend for shrimp harvest will be tried off the Sakthikulangara coast after monsoon, so as to convince the fishermen about its benefits,” he added.