Studies on the utilization of selected species of Sharks

This thesis Entitled Studies on the Utilization of selected Species of sharks. The present study is the result of work carried out for 5 years, during the period from April, 1983 to March 1988. The materials were collected from the catches of the Government of India vessels, operated along the south west coast of India and landed in the Integrated Fisheries Project, Cochin—16. The sharks were caught by different types of gears such as bottom trawls, pelagic trawls, long line etc. A number of species of sharks were landed during this period and three species were selected for the present study namely Scoliodon palasorra (bleeker 1853, grey Shark), Carcharhinus limbatus (valenciennes 1839,black tip shark ) and centrophorus granulosus (bloch and schneider 1801 ,spiny shark). During this study period the quantity of shark utilized was 12,55,942 kg out of which 9.71% used for the production of Dressed shark; 36.21% for the production of Fillets; 49.09% converted into Dried shark and 4.99% was domesticallyy marketed as whole form. Besides this 526 kg of dried shark fin and 289.25 kg of shark fin rays were produced.The effect of Smoking of shark fillets and minced meat at different temperature were also studied during this period. Canning of cooked shark meat, smoked fillets and fish balls were carried out in media like brine, vegetable oil, tomato sauce etc. The quality of smoked fillets in vegetable oil was found superior to other canned products from shark meat.During this study an attempt was also made to evaluate the commercial processing of shark resources and found feasible.

Fishery and biology of deep-sea chondrichthyans off the southwest coast of india

Elasmobranchs comprising sharks, skates and rays have traditionally formed an important fishery along the Indian coast. Since 2000, Indian shark fishermen are shifting their fishing operations to deeper/oceanic waters by conducting multi-day fishing trips, which has resulted in considerable changes in the species composition of the landings vis- a-vis those reported during the 1980’s and 1990’s. A case study at Cochin Fisheries Harbour (CFH), southwest coast of India during 2008-09 indicated that besides the existing gillnet–cum- hooks & line and longline fishery for sharks, a targeted fishery at depths >300-1000 m for gulper sharks (Centrophorus spp.) has emerged. In 2008, the chondrichthyan landings (excluding batoids) were mainly constituted by offshore and deep-sea species such as Alopias superciliosus (24.2%), Carcharhinus limbatus (21.1%), Echinorhinus brucus (8.2%), Galeocerdo cuvier (5.4%), Centrophorus spp. (7.3%) and Neoharriotta pinnata (4.2%) while the contribution by the coastal species such as Sphyrna lewini (14.8%), Carcharhinus sorrah (1.4%) and other Carcharhinus spp. has reduced. Several deep-sea sharks previously not recorded in the landings at Cochin were also observed during 2008-09. It includes Hexanchus griseus, Deania profundorum, Zameus squamulosus and Pygmy false catshark (undescribed) which have been reported for the first time from Indian waters. Life history characteristics of the major fished species are discussed in relation to the fishery and its possible impacts on the resource