Fishes Diving away from Coastal Areas Due to Heat

30 April 2013
Chennai

Increasing temperature in the state are posing threat to fishes as to which they are migrating from coastal areas of Kerala . Though the migration of Oil Sardine from Kerala to states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal was reported a few years ago, other fishes too are migrating to outer sea owing to increased heat, which has made fishing in Kerala an expensive affair. Fishermen feel that the price of fishes which are largely consumed by Malayalis will go up in the near future.

Charles George, president, Kerala Matsyathozhilali Aikyavedi, said that mostly Pelagic fishes are being caught from Kerala water sand the increased heat had an adverse impact on the catch recently. Pelagic fish live near the surface or in the water column of coastal, ocean and lake waters, but not on the bottom of the sea or the lake.

The desirable temperature for Oil Sardine is 28.3 degree Celsius, but in recent times the temperature onshore is 32 degree Celsius, which forces them to got to outer sea,” he pointed out. It is estimated that around 300 different species of fishes are caught from the Kerala coast, out of which only around 40 are of commercial use. There are certain high value fishes such as Seer fish, Pomfret and Prawn but their catch is considerably less.

Source – http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/Heat-driving-fish-away-from-coastal-waters/2013/04/30/article1567995.ece

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