Catch-effort relationship and projection scenarios for the dual-fleet trawl fishery of Mangalore and Malpe, southwest coast, of India

Abstract

Non-equilibrium surplus production models were fitted to derive the empirical production maxima for the single-day (SDF) and multi-day fleet (MDF) trawlers operating from Mangalore-Malpe bases. The Pella-Tomlinson model fitted for SDF showed that the fishery is presently stabilized at an effort level close to the empirical production maximum (11429 tonnes). While using the Schaefer model, the yield from MDF was found to be in excess of the ideal (32406 tonnes). Projection scenarios using different effort levels for MDF indicate that a 15%/annum decrease in effort from the present can bring back the population to a healthy level by the year 1999. The biological interaction among the different component species of the two fleets are also provided.