KOCHI: The residents of Bitra island in Lakshadweep archipelago were in for a surprise as a big shoal of little tuna rushed into the lagoon giving a bumper catch to the fishermen. According to Lakshadweep fisheries assistant director Jaffar Hisham, the tuna belonged to the Euthynnus Affinis family which is popularly known as mackerel tuna and wavyback skipjack tuna.
“Tunas normally do not enter the lagoon by this shoal accidentally entered the lagoon and could not return to the sea. Though there were such incidents in the past it is the first time such a big shoal enters the lagoon,” he said.
“The tunas were rushing to the shore and the fishermen had a bumper catch. More than 4,500 tunas were caught by the fishermen which were distributed to the local residents free of cost. The fish was weighing 1 to 1.5 kg. The shoal accidentally entered the reef and we presume it could not return to the sea,” said
T T Mustafa, a local resident.
Former CMFRI scientist Sunil Mohammed said the school could have got stressed due to low oxygen levels.
“This species of tuna is seen in the coastal sea. It could have entered the lagoon while following the prey. It would have rushed to the shore due to low oxygen level in the coastal waters,” he said.