Resource characteristics and stock assessment of lesser sardines in the Indian waters

The fishery and biology of commercially important species of lesser sardine resources of India were studied. Detailed gearwise, specieswise and monthwise landings for 1984-88 are presented .In Goa-Karnataka region the main gear was purse seine, whereas in the Keralaregion it was gill net. On the east coast, Tamil Nadu- Pondicheny recorded maximum landings through gill nets and Andhra-Orissa through boat seines and gill nets. Surdinellu gibbosa was the imponant species in the west and southeast coasts of India, and S.,fimbriutuin the northeast region. Growth panmeters for different species were estimated. Stock assessment for S. gibbosu showed that the fish is optimally exploited in the Tamil Nadu-Pondicheny region, whereas in the west coast (Kerala and Goa-Kmataka regions) the fishery can be improved with additional effon. In the Andhra-Orissa region. the effon is beyond the MSY level