A Good Catch

The Ashtamudi estuary, covering an area of 61.4 sq km, is tlie second largest wetland ecosystem in Kerala. Paphia malabarica, the short-necked or yellow-foot clam, is the dominant clam species exploited in the Ashtamudi estuary. It is a benthic filter feeding, bivalve mollusc found in estuarine habitats on the east and west coasts of India. Up to 1,000 fishers in the area rely on this clam resource for livelihood. They paddle dug-out canoes from nearby villages to the shellfish beds. Divers dislodge the clams from the seabed with their hands and feet or a team of two or three fishermen use a hand-dredge from the canoe. On a good day a fisherman can gather as much as 200kg over four-five hours. Another 3,000-4,000 people are involved in cleaning, processing and trading the clams. The fishery has sustained catches of around 10,000 tonnes a year for the past decade. The value of the clam fishery in the Ashtamudi estuary is close to US$1 million, with the catch being in good demand in Southeast Asia and Japan