On the mackerel fishery of the Mandapam area

Mackerel supports a minor fishery in the Mandapam area, especially along the Gulf of Mannar coast. The landings are, of course, small and cannot be compared with those on the West Coast. According to Krishnamurthi (1957), the total mackerel catch in Rameswaram Island in 1952-53 and 1953-54 amounted only to about 9-3 tons. He also found that among the important fishes there, mackerel occupied the 15th and 11th ranks respectively with regard to its contribution to tota catch and the monetary yield. However, the catch and financial returns are certainly much better on the mainland. Mackerel are rarely landed on the Palk Bay side where the general fishing season extends from April to October. However, in October 1956, unusually large catches were recorded on this coast also. During April-September there is little fishing activity on the Gulf of Mannar side. Fishing operations here extend from October-March and it is during this period that mackerel appear in the nearshore waters in sufficiently large numbers as to constitute an important fishery. This account deals with the observations conducted on the fishery from 1952-57 with special reference to catch-per-unit of effort, size composition and maturity