Marine fish calendar. 6. Tuticorin

Tuticorin is one of the well known, age old, fishery ports of India especially by virtue of the production of valuable, good quality, natural pearls and chanks in addition to marine fish production. Early in the 19I1-'15 periods the marine fish production here was to the tune of 663,592 pounds (296.3 tonnes). The fishermen strength was 520 who operated conventional 'valavalai', 'kolavalai', 'madivalai', offshore lining, inshore lining, trolling and other minor nets with the traditional fishing crafts like Tuticorin type of plank built boats called 'Vallam' and 'catamarans'. Over the two decades, mechanized fishing has changed not only the fishing pattern but also the constituent catches. The progress of fishing industry can still be augmented by motorising the plank built boats and 'catamarans'. Present assessment of fishery resources reveals that in a year 19,850 t of fish are landed by trawlers and 9,275 t by traditional fishing units