Overview of elasmobranch fisheries of West Bengal in 2018

Elasmobranch fishery of West Bengal comprises of sharks, rays, guitarfishes and skates. Due to demand in the national and international market, the fishery has gained importance though it is not a targeted resource. The catch data showed that the fishery is in a declining phase since 2016. The estimated landing of elasmobranchs (3799 tonnes) has shown a further decrease of 12.6% during 2018 in West Bengal compared to 2017. Sharks form the major portion (48%) of the elasmobranch fishery followed by rays (40%) and guitarfishes (12%) during 2108 in West Bengal. The fishery flourished more during the first (January-March) and last quarter (October- December)of the year. Maximum catch of sharks have been observed in October followed by February. The gear-wise landings of sharks showed that multiday trawlers contributed 81% of the shark landings followed by mechanized gill netters (17%) and the remaining 2% by inboard gill netters. Maximum catch of rays have been observed during June followed by January and October. The rays were mainly exploited by trawlers (76%) followed by hook and lines (15%) and gill netters (8%). Maximum catch of guitarfishes was observed during January followed by August and February. Guitarfishes are landed mostly by trawlers (91%) followed by gill nets (9%). The elasmobranch resources in West Bengal are very diverse in nature. However, there is a continuous decline in the landings which could be detrimental in future if the resources are not managed properly. Hence, it is recommended to follow good management practices to ensure long term sustainability of the resources