Fishing Trials with Beachlanding Craft at Thirumuilaivasal, Tamil Nadu, India 1989-1991-BOBP/WP/75 -

Based on the experience gained in small-scale offshore fishing in Uppada, Andhra Pradesh, India (BOBP/WP/56), and the need to diversify and develop smallscale fisheries in the offshore areas off the Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu, India, a subproject for the commercial fishing of pelagic species was established in 1989 by the Fisheries Department of Tamil Nadu with technical and financial support from the Bay of Bengal Programme. It was executed in Thirumullaivasal, Thanjavur District, from Febr uary 1989 to January 1991 with one beach landing craft (BLC)of the IND-20 type. A second boat of the same type became available in July 1990. The purpose of the subproject was to demonstrate to fisherfolk and Fisheries Officers the technical and economic feasibility of small-scale offshore fishing by using the BLC and employing diversified fishing gear. It was hoped that the demonstration would lead to commercial exploitation of less exploited resources and produce new sources of earnings for the fisherfolk who own and operate traditional as well as other introduced motorized fishing craft. This paper records the trials over a two-year period and the conclusions drawn from them.