THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:A first-of-its-kind study on myctophid or lantern fish at Neendakara in Kollam, commissioned last year, failed to yield results as the agencies could not carry out the research due to adverse factors like Cyclone Ockhi and trawl ban.
It was in last April that the Fisheries Department and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) rolled out the study. CIFT says that the study can only be resumed by mid-October.
“We called off the study with the onset of monsoon and the enforcement of trawling ban. Though it was planned to resume in December, the landfall of Cyclone Ockhi forced us to reconsider our plans,” said a CIFT scientist associated with the study.
Asked for reaction, MP Remesan, principal scientist at CIFT, who is heading the study, told ‘Express’ that the study has been temporarily suspended due to the trawl ban and the unruly sea.
To expedite its research, the CIFT had earlier fielded its research vessel Matsyakumari-II, equipped with a specially designed net, echo sounder that works up to a 10,000-meter depth, and deep freezer at Neendakara.
“We assume that it might take at least three months to resume the study. The 52-day trawling ban will end on Tuesday. Then in the next two months, fishermen will mostly prefer fishing in the coastal waters than the deep sea. By October, fishermen will venture into the deep sea, but it is the time of the year when they will get bounty prawn catch. Thus in all probability by mid-October we could join CIFT for the studies,” said Peter Mathias, president of Kollam District Boat Operators Association.
A study published by the CIFT in January 2017, titled ‘Investigations on Aimed Midwater Trawling for Myctophid in the Arabian Sea’, found that the myctophid fish variety which had huge commercial potential in the international market is yet to be explored in territorial waters.
The study further highlights that though the fish variety is aplenty in Kollam, which is found in 300- to 500-meter depth, the traditional fishermen largely remain ignorant about this, and often they get myctophid as a by-catch.
In another study carried out jointly by the Center for Marine Living Resources and Ecology and Ministry of Earth Sciences, it was found that as myctophids migrate vertically in morning and evening at comparatively high speed, the optimization of trawl design is important for its catch.
The study further stressed that there is a need for changes to mid-water trawlers for the successful catch of myctophids as the size of the net, its mouth opening, use of sufficiently small mesh size of the netting used for trawl fabrication, and other factors play a crucial role.