On the fishery and population dynamics of seer fish Scomberomorus commerson (Lacepede) off Tuticorin (Gulf of Mannar)

On an average 34.476 t of sear fish were landed in India during 1982-1985. Scomberomorus guttatus constituted 50% of the total catch, S. commerson 49.1%, S. lineolatus 0.6% and Acanthocybium solandri 0.3%. In Gulf of Mannar, sear fish are exploited by drift gill nets of different mesh sizes, hooks and lines, trawl nets and to a limited extent by shore-seines. On an average 4.21.4 t of sear fish are being landed annually by all these gears along Tuticorin coast. The drift gill net, paruvalai landed on an average 156.7 t at the catch rate of 46.5 kg per unit Hooks and lines landed annually 141,2 tat the catch rate of 146 kg per unit and trawl nets 113.4 t at the catch rate of 3.04 kg per unit. The smaller mesh sized drift gill net, podivalai landed on an average 10 t annually at the catch rate of 8.65 kg per unit