GILLNET SELECTIVITY ON THE YELLOW FIN TREVALLY (CARANX IGNOBILIS, FORSSKAL, 1775) ALONG THOOTHUKUDI COAST, SOUTHEAST COAST OF INDIA

摘要

A study on the selectivity of big-meshed gill nets with three different mesh sizes on the fishery of the Yellow fii Trevally, Caranx ignobilis revealed significant selectivity and enmeshing pattern. The peak-fishing season of C. ignobilis i the big-meshed gill nets of Thoothukudi coast was found to be from July to September. Among the gill nets of three differer mesh sizes analysed, the net ‘A’ with the mesh size 9cm may be discouraged as it captured mainly immature and maturin animals of C. ignobilis. When the mesh size was increased, a clear-cut shift in the enmeshing pattern from snagging f wedging could be observed. The enmeshing factor derived during this investigation clearly indicated the influence of snaggin and wedging on the mean selection length of Caranx ignobilis caught in gill nets of different mesh sizes. The selection fact( was derived as 5.23.The optimum length capture of C. ignobilis was found to be 55.0cm and the optimum mesh size for th commercial exploitation of C. ignobiliswas estimated as 10.5cm.