GENERAL

FISH AND FISHARIES

Water Resources.— The district is traversed by the river Purna and its principal tributaries, viz., the Nalganga, the Vishwaganga and the Gyanganga from the south and the Banganga from the north, and by the river Penganga, constituting together a length of 390 km of fluvial waters.

Impounded water resources comprise 34 tanks having a total water-spread area of 2,150 hectares, including the Nalganga reservoir admeasuring nearly 1,100 hectares.

Fishes which are commonly found in the water resources of the district are as follows: —

The bulk of the fish catch comprises major carps, viz., Catla, Rahu and Mrigal, which have been cultured in some of the water resources of the district, and murals and cat fishes.

Marketing of fish is mostly carried out by the fishermen themselves by transporting the catch either by State Transport buses or by rail, from the catching centres to the fish markets.

Fishing gear and Craft.—Cast net or "Bhowar Jal".—It is a circular net, with meshes varying from 1 cm to 2 cm. It is fabricated out of cotton or nylon twine, and is furnished with lead or iron sinkers at the periphery which is tucked or folded inside to form a continuous fold or pocket in which fishes are caught.

Drag net or "Tangad" or "Zorle ''.—This net is also made of cotton or nylon twine, having a length of 9 to 10 metres, and mesh-size ranging from 2 cm to 3 cm. Several such pieces may be joined together, as required for dragging the net through water.

Gill net or "Atki Jal".—This net used to be made of cotton twine formerly. Lately, fishermen have realised the advantages of synthetic materials and have started using nylon nets.

This "Atki Jal" is the most important fishing gear. The net consists of several pieces joined together, each piece admeasuring 20 to 30 metres in length, 3 to 5 metres in width, with mesh varying from 5 cm to 12 cm, depending on the type of fishes to be caught. The net is provided with a head rope bearing floats, and a foot rope bearing lead-sinkers.

Craft.—Fishermen use locally constructed plank boats, empty and airtight oil drums, tied together with ropes, to serve as an improvised craft, for operating their fishing gear.

Fishermen.— Fishing villages are scattered mostly along the banks of the rivers Purna and Penganga. Most of the fishermen belong to Kahar and Dhiwar communities. Although fishing is their main occupation, preparation of " phutana" and " mur-mura ", and cultivation of water-melons are their subsidiary means of livelihood.

Development Activities.— With a view to increasing the production of fish within the district and improving the socio-economic condition of the fishermen, the Department of Fisheries established an office in 1962 for the district, with one Fisheries Assistant in charge, who works under the Superintendent of Fisheries, Akola. Fish culture has been given considerable importance. As the water resources of the district were lacking in the availability of quick growing varieties such as Catla, Rohu and Mrigal, the tanks in the district are being surveyed with a view to bringing about as much area of water surface as possible under the culture of these three types of fishes. Intensification of stocking of fry or fish-seed of these fishes, is being undertaken every year. Attempts are also being made to explore the production of fish-seed within the district, by undertaking the artificial method of breeding the fishes.

The total area of water that has been brought under pisciculture until 1969, was 1,570 hectares. The tanks which are being stocked with fry of major carps bv the Department are Sangam tank (2.4 hectares), Yarkhed tank (43 hectares) and Nalganga reservoir (1,100 hectares). Technical assistance and requisite facilities are also extended for undertaking pisciculture in tanks belonging to various grampanchayats, municipal committees and interested pisciculturists. In the socio-economic field, the efforts are made to bring the fishermen of the district under the co-operative fold, so as to take advantage of different schemes of development and financial assistance to the fish trade. There are, at present, 5 fishermens co-operative societies in the district with a total membership of 105, and a total share capital of Rs. 5,650.

Financial assistance is granted by way of subsidy on the purchase of fishery requisites such as nylon and cotton twine. The co-operative societies and private fish-culturists get rebate on the procurement of the carp fry. The financial assistance is also granted by way of loan and subsidy for construction of rearing and nursery tanks, desilting and renovating tanks and screening of the outlets—all measures eventually undertaken towards increased production of fish and socio-economic welfare of the fishermen of the district.

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