Ring Seines with Pockets Operated off Ratnagiri,Maharashtra

Ring seine targeted at oil sardine and mackerel shoals moving in surface and column waters is a very recent introduction in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. The design characteristics and operational aspects of the ring seine with pocket operated off Ratnagiri are presented in this communication. Twenty five to 32 vertical rectangular sections of polyamide knotted webbing of 14-20 mm mesh size were joined together to form a single net having a total length ranging from 486 to 655 m and depth ranging from 36 to 41 m. At both ends of the net, a triangular section referred to as choke with webbing of larger meshes and of thicker twines was rigged to give additional strength to the net. The ring seine was operated at a depth of less than 25 m from small fibre glass reinforced plastic (FRP) craft of 10.9-13.0 LOA fitted with 9.9 hp out board motor (OBM) and assisted by a carrier vessel for transporting the catch to the shore. The depth of operation was always less than the depth of the net.