On the juvenile fishery of Euthynnus affinis and Sarda orientalis along the Tuticorin Coast in Gulf of Mannar

An estimated 2882 t of tuna were landed by gillnets and hook and line at Tuticorin duringthe year 2006. They were exploited by smallmeshed gillnets locally known as podivalai with 3.3 to 7.5 cm mesh size, large meshed gillnets known as paruvalai with 8-16 cmmesh size and hooks and line operated from mechanized boats and motorized vallams.Small meshed gillnets operate in shallow waters within 10-15 m depth and land tunas along with other medium sized pelagics.Podivalai accounted for 8.3% tuna landings.Large meshed gillnets and hooks and line operate in 50-150 m depth zone beyond 10 km from the coast and land large tunas and pelagics. Large meshed gillnets contributed 90.3% of the total tuna catch