Rising temperature, heavy wind, and ongoing fishing holiday for motorised boats have helped fishermen here tote record haul of tuna this year.
The 61-day annual fishing holiday that commenced on April 14 for mechanised boats and trawlers does not apply to traditional fishermen, who use catamaran – wooden boats without motors.
Huge haul of tuna is normal during the fishing holiday, but favourable wind this year has boosted the catch to record levels.
On Tuesday, the fishing harbour here became a beehive of activity with agents from Kerala buying yellow and blue-fin tuna weighing over 25 kg at Rs.100 per kg.
Kerala is a huge market for tuna. “With mechanised boats not venturing out, the sea has been undisturbed. That may have drawn tuna nearer the shore in search of prey,” explains State coordinator of Netfish (MPEDA) P. Hanumantha Rao. Tuna is a finfish with a body temperature that is higher than the surrounding water. It is highly migratory and multiplies fast. It is an active and agile predator and one of the fastest swimmers in the sea with speed reaching up to 75 km per hour.
Fresh tuna fetches a high price in Japan and South-East Asia, where it is considered a delicacy.
Though the catch has been good for traditional fishermen, there is a downside of it. Their catch does not fetch as high a price as tuna netted by larger fishing boats.
The catamarans use a single hook with bait, while the long-liners used by mechanised boats have 400-500 hooks.“Moreover, catamaran fishers don’t use ice, and so their catch fetches just Rs.100 per kg. More hygienic handling gives us an assured income of Rs.150,” says S. Narsinga Rao, an exporter.
