A community-based, bottom-up regime of fisheries management, rooted in traditional ecological knowledge, is practised in the pole-and-line tuna fishery of India\u2019s Lakshadweep Islands<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
This article is by Prerana Gawde<\/strong><\/em> (prerana@dakshin.org) and Ajithraj R<\/strong><\/em> (ajithraj@dakshin.org) of Dakshin Foundation<\/p>\n\n\n
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India is home to a large number of small-scale fishers (SSF) using diverse craft-gear combinations along the country\u2019s long coastline and island systems. One standout entry is the pole-and-line (P&L) tuna fishery of the Lakshadweep Islands. Compared to other fisheries, this is not mentioned much in the outside world\u2014or even on the Indian mainland. Yet this unique and sustainable fishery deserves a sharper focus during the ongoing International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA).<\/p>\n
The P&L fishing gear comprise a fishing line with a barbless hook attached to a bamboo or fibreglass pole. The fishing method uses plenty of live fish as bait to attract the tuna. The \u2018baitfish\u2019 are small pelagic and reef fishes caught from lagoons and reefs surrounding the islands. P&L fishing is considered one of the most sustainable fishing methods.<\/p>\n
P&L fishing is practised across the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Indian oceans, with minor-to-significant variations. For example, the Japanese P&L fleet is highly mechanized with robotic pole-and-line apparatus; the main boat is supplied with fresh, live baitfish from time to time. Meanwhile, in Senegal, multiple P&L boats first collect reliable amounts of baitfish and then proceed to fish for tuna, together using each other\u2019s boats as huge fish aggregating devices (FADs).<\/p>\n
In Lakshadweep, the P&L fleet consists of vessels 40-60 feet long and crews of 8-12 fishers. They begin their fishing day with baitfish fishing and then proceed to catch tuna. Baitfish are kept alive in aerated holding tanks onboard fishing vessels before being used as bait for P&L fishing. Fishers locate and approach tuna schools in the open sea by taking cues from the preying seabirds or, at times, with the help of FADs.<\/p>\n
On locating a school of tuna, fishers throw the live, shiny baitfish from the boat to attract the tuna toward the boat. Fishers onboard scatter baitfish and simultaneously spray water to mimic a feeding frenzy for tuna. In this situation, the tuna start biting on anything shiny, even the silvery hooks. As the tuna takes the bait, the fishing crew standing at the back of the boat with their fishing poles immediately cast their lines into the tuna school. On hooking a tuna, the fishers skilfully hurl it onto the deck behind. The barbless hooks make it easy to disengage the entangled tuna with a mere flick of the hand; the fishing continues, one tuna at a time, till the feeding frenzy ceases.<\/p>\n
The P&L fishery has a low impact on the marine ecosystem. Being an offshore operation, it alleviates the fishing pressure on the islands\u2019 sensitive coral reef ecosystem. It makes a major contribution to the socioeconomic well-being of the community, being a primary source of income for a significant number of Lakshadweep\u2019s residents. It contributes nearly 15 per cent to India\u2019s total tuna landings, as of 2019.<\/p>\n
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The P&L technique is said to have evolved centuries ago in the islands of the Indian Ocean, including Minicoy, the southernmost island of Lakshadweep<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
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The P&L technique is said to have evolved centuries ago in the islands of the Indian Ocean, including Minicoy, the southernmost island of Lakshadweep. The Lakshadweep Fisheries Department introduced the technique from there to other islands in 1963. Initially, it was backed by development programmes, policies and subsidies to enhance the livelihoods of the local fishers. Now, it has acquired a more production-centric path because of supportive policies and incentives for multi-day fishing and scaling-up production. These policies have intensified fishing activities on the islands and have subsequently increased fishing pressure, not only on the tuna resources but on the baitfish resources as well. Baitfish are a critical limiting resource.<\/p>\n
Challenges ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n
The last ten years have seen an increase in the size and number of P&L boats in Lakshadweep due to policies and subsidies that are encouraging higher tuna catches. This has consequently led to an increased demand for bait, subsequently intensifying baitfish fishing. For example, over the past few years, many boats have been fishing for baitfish species like the silver striped herring (Spratelloides gracilis) using \u2018light fishing\u2019, employing artificial light emitting diode (LED) from night time till before dawn, to attract the baitfish.<\/p>\n