Add to ORKGNot AvailableFishing by small commercial trawlers in the Visakhapatnam area has grown from about 4 trawlers operating in 1966 to 196 in 1986. Presently vast areas of fishing within 17°10' to 18°]0' N and 82°50' to 84° 10' E are covered in depth zones of 10-80 m. The fishing pattern and its seasonal variations have been pointed out. The trawling effort is mainly directed to catch prawns which constitutes 13.8% of the total trawl landings. Other important fishes caught in this gear are nemipterids 14.7%, lizardfish 11.1%, sciaenids 7.2%, ribbonfish 7.2%, silverbellies 6.7%, clupeoids 4.1%, perches 4.2%, crabs 4.0%, carangids 3.9% and cephalopods 3.4%. The major species of these groups, their season of abundance and size range in the fi...