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Elasmobranch biodiv score
India
Baseline assessment of Elasmobranch diversity in trawler bycatch in Indian fisheries.
Key Observations
Malvan, a region on the west coast of India’s Maharastra State, is home to diverse fisheries. It has 80–100 trawlers, at least 600 gillnet boats, and some artisanal fisheries - including those using shore seines. The study sampled elasmobranch landings from trawlers over two seasons: March–May 2018 and October 2018–May 2019. The process involved understanding the fishery and assessing the risk to the species of concern; developing mitigation measures for incidental catch; and assessment of these measures in terms of technical and socio-economic feasibility.
Impact
No Impact added
Key Observations
Providing evidence-based species-specific management strategies is needed due to the diversity in elasmobranch species. Onboard release of live individuals, particularly species like guitarfish, appears to be the most viable option from a socioeconomic perspective. Catch rates of guitarfish in trawlers being low, onboard release may be the most cost-effective method to minimize the mortality of these species. Development and implementation of fishery closures or gear modifications using a bottom-up approach may also be successful as long-term management measures. Furthermore, biodiversity offset measures can be made more feasible through market-based approaches like taxation of traders or other nodes of the supply chain
Key Indicators
| Variable | Key Indicator | Unit | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elasmobranch biodiv score | Biodiversity conservation | Shannons index |
