GENERAL

fish and FISHERIES

Water resources: The river Bhima constitutes an important source of fluvial waters within the district, alongwith its right bank feeders, the Nira and the Man, and left bank feeders, the Sina and the Bhogawati.

There are 18 irrigation tanks with a total area of 7,652 hectares, which offer a good scope for development of fishery. Under the control of Zilla Parishad and Gram Panchayats, there are 29 tanks with a total area of 62 acres. Most of these tanks are short-seasonal. The perennial tanks have been surveyed and are being taken for development of fisheries. There are 8 tanks in the areas which are within the municipal jurisdiction, in the district, with a total coverage of 168 hectares. The total area of lentic waters in the district amounts to 7,882 hectares.

Fishes: Fish catch from riverine resources mainly comprises Labeo fimbriatus, cat fishes and local minor fishes. Major carps, i.e., Rohu Catla and Mrigal are, however, available in very small quantities from the Sina river. The important varieties of fishes occurring naturally in the water resources of the district are as follows:-

Craft and gear:

(a) Craft:

1. Hodi.-It is a small flat-bottom wooden dinghy which is being used as a fishing craft.

2. Tins or Drums raft.-Kerosene tins or drums are fastoned together to make a raft. One man sits on the raft and pays the net while his helper swims in the water to push the raft. This raft is useful for paying the nets like Pati Jal, Pandi Jal and Phasali Jal.

3. Wooden raft.-Wooden planks are fastened together to make a raft. The operation of this raft is like the tin raft.

4. Sangadi.-Two tins are joined together with a plank to make it a floating device used for carrying and paying different nets.

(b) Gear:

1. Pagir or Phek jal (Cast net).-This is a circular net used in shallow waters with a mesh size varying from 1.25 cm. to 3.8 cm. (stretched). The nets are made of cotton or nylon twine. A lead line is provided on the periphery of the net. A fold is provided to form a pouch on entire periphery for catching the fish. This gear is commonly used all over the district.

2. Sarki Jal.-It is a type of cast net, used mainly in monsoon in flowing waters, for catching big size fish. It has no pouch and the mesh size is about 5 cm.

3. Pati Jal.-It is a drag net made of cotton twine with mesh size 2.5 cm. in the centre and 5 cm. to 7.5 cm. on sides. Pieces of 3.6 metres in height and 12 metres in length are tied together in this net. This net is dragged by 12 to 15 people for catching fish. There are no sinkers.

4. Pandi Jal.-This is the same as Pati Jal, but has got a pouch in the centre. It has sinkers and floats.

5. Phasali Jal.-It is a surface gill net with floats and without sinkers. The mesh size varies from 7.5 cm. to 30 cm. This net is used with the help of a small boat. The height of this net is 1.8 metres and length is about 90 metres.

6. Kandali Jal.-It is a gill net of nylon twine with a length of 90 metres, and which is 90 cm. in height. It has earthen sinkers and floats made of aquatic plant locally called as Kavsad.

7. Bhushi or Tiwari Jal.-It is the same as Kandali jal. The height is from 30 cm. to 60 cm. and length from 6 to 9 metres, the mesh size varies from 0.62 cm. to 1.25 cm. This net is used for catching shrimps and small fishes.

8. Pelani jal.-It is a small triangular net and has got a pouch on the lower side. It is used by one person to collect small shrimps.

9. Bichari or Kharati jal.-This net is a bag-like net dragged by two persons on each side in the shallow riverine waters. This is made of two parts, the upper and the lower, the former overhanging the latter. The mesh size varies from 2.5 cm. to 5 cm. The mouth is about 1.2 to 1.5 metres in length. The total length of the net is from 3 to 3.6 metres. This net is used mainly for catching small fishes and shrimps.

10. Khor Jal.-This is also a bag-like net but stationary and tied to four poles in running water.

11. Fishes are also caught by hook and lines.

Formerly the material used for fabricating nets used to consist only of cotton twine. After the introduction of synthetic material in preparing, gear, fishermen in the district have been progressively replacing cotton twine with synthetic twines such as nylon, terene, etc. Though the twines of synthetic material are much more costly than cotton, the higher cost is compensated for by advantages gained in terms of more catch and better durability of synthetic twine nets than nets of cotton twine. To encourage the fishermen to make greater use of synthetic twine, they are given subsidy.

Fishermen: The number of fishermen in the district is 1,399, out of whom 717 are full-time and 682 are part-time workers. Most of these fishermen are Kahar and Pardeshi Bhois. Some of them, with a view to supplement their income, prepare chanafutana and murmra and cultivate water-melons. These occupations are followed by them as subsidiary occupations.

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