Exploited seerfish fishery resources of India - A review

Seerfishes forming 1.7 % of the total marine Jish catch of the country are considered as one of the high value resources Andhra Pradesh (14.3%) and Tami Nadu (11.5%) on the east coast and Gujarat (22.8%). Maharashtra (16.9%) and Kerala (16.1%) on the west coast are the principal contributors of seerfish. They are caught mainly in gillnet (65.12%) and hook & line (6.96%) from 25-50 m depth zone and. in trawl (11.47%) operated from beyond 50 m depth. Of the five species available in Indian waters, the fishery is sustained by the king seer Scomberomorus commerson and the spotted seer S.guttatus. The stock assessment studies on the king seer revealed that the present yield in different regions of the country are closer to MSY. However there is scope for stepping up production by extending fishing operations to the deeper waters beyond 50 m depth. The paper reviews their fishery, biology and stock characteristics in Indian waters