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A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF FISHING CRAFTS AND GEARS OPERATING

IN LENTIC AND LOTIC WATER OF PUNJAB

Aamir Hussain Bhat, Rahul Singh*

Dept. of Zoology, School of Biotechnology and Biosciences

Lovely professional University Jalandhar, Punjab, India

ABSTRACT: Study of fishing techniques in Punjab (India) was carried out in the different districts in the year

of 2015. The information about different types of crafts and gears were taken by weekly visit to the

important fishing sites .The aim of this paper is to record the fishery related technological knowledge specially

fishing gears and crafts used in Punjab region. 8 different types of gears and 2 crafts are screened and

thoroughly investigated. Gears were drag net, stationary gill net, cast net, ring cast net entangling net, encircling

net, fish trap and hook and line. Crafts were pirogue and dinghy. Some weakness and disadvantages has been

pointed out.

KEYWORDS: Jaal, Net, Mesh, Boat.

INTRODUCTION

In Punjab (India) the different types of

water bodies spread over vast area

comprising of canals spreading over

181.70190 km2 constituting 0.360% of

geographical area of Punjab, cooling

ponds or cooling reservoirs of 0.89648

km2 constitute 0.002%, lakes or ponds

of 63.26933 km2 constitute 0.120%,

reservoirs of 26.57038 km2 constitute

0.050% and water channel areas of

549.95860 km2 constitute 1.090% of

Punjab (ENVIS Centre: Punjab, 2015).

At present 10,850.60 ha area of Punjab

is under fish culture, reared and

managed by 7500 fish farmers. Punjab

has the highest average fish production

of 6000kg/ha as compared to national

average of 3000kg/ha (ENVIS Centre:

Punjab, 2015).

Gears and crafts are very crucial

for harvesting. Like other part of India

Punjab also has unique patter of gears and

crafts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was carried out during Jan to

may 2015 in the different districts of

Punjab which are known for fishing.

The information about different types

of crafts and gears were taken by

weekly visit to the important fishing

sites of Punjab namely Gurdaspur,

Harike wetland, Ropar and Basti Bawa

Khel. An interaction based data collected

from fishing site, professional fishermen,

J. Adv. Zool. 2016: 37(2): 80-89 ISSN-0253-7214

80 J. Adv. Zool. 2016 : 37 (2)

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net makers and net shopkeeper At the

sites the photos of different types of

crafts and gears were captured by a

digital camera and the measurement of

length, width, height (in crafts),

diameter, mesh size (in gears), were

taken by scale. Other parameters like

operation mode, building material and

fish species caught in different types of

nets were directly observed on sites.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

First investigated gear was drag net (Fig:

1) (“Gheraw jaal” local name) and size of

gears were found approximately 30 × 6 ft.

with 0.5 cm mesh. This net preferably use

in summer season when water becomes

shallow. Gear design beautifully to

remains stretched form during operation

which is facilitated by heavy iron weight

and floaters respectively. 2-4 people are

required for operation. But one of the

major drawbacks is small size fish

trapping.

Next gear was stationary gill net (Fig:2)

(Current Jaal local term) which was

rectangular and contained strong head and

foot ropes. It is a passive fishing gear

in which only 2 persons are required

to operate. The size of the gear varies

from 30-40 ft long according to the

requirement and area available. There

are double layer meshwork of nylon

threads to form small mesh of 1-4 cm .

The height of the gear is generally 7 ft.

The net is fastened to anchor on both

sides with bamboo poles, fish are

driven to the gear by disturbing the

water or by sound produced by beating

cans. Mostly the net is tied against the

current and simply allowed as such for

81 J. Adv. Zool. 2016 : 37 (2)

Fig 1: Drag Net

Fig 1: Drag Net

Fig 2:Stationary

gill Net

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a night. One disadvantage has been noted

that when fish trapped by their operculum

and struggling, get injured.

Cast net (Fig: 3) (Ghumaav jaal) looks

like umbrella with the diameter of 20-

25 ft having a mesh size of 1 cm

(fig.16). Only one person is required

for operating this type of gear.

For one time operation, 4-5 minutes are

required. It is the fastest and most

frequent method of operation and can

be done several times in a day. On

windy days when air drag is more, the

orientation of the gear is distracted.

The gear does not expand fully on

spreading over water body.

Another common gears are ring cast net

(Fig:4) (Kada Jaal). The gear is mainly

used to catch big sized fishes.

82 J. Adv. Zool. 2016 : 37 (2)

Fig 1: Cast Net

Fig 1: Cast Net

Fig 1: Cast Net

Fig 1: Cast Net

Fig 1: Cast Net

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The design of the gear is similar as of

the cast net but the only difference is

the presence of wooden ring through

which a long and strong rope is split

into fine branches and attached to

different points with margin of the gear

on the inner side.

Entangling net (Fig: 5) (Phansi jaal) is

used in flowing water mostly at

barrages because the fishes usually lie

in the surface and column zone of the

water at the barrage site. The length of

the net is 25 ft and the width is 20 ft.

Mesh size of the net is 4cm which is

mostly suitable for catching big sized

fishes. It is a rectangular net devoid of

floaters and sinkers. The net has strong

and heavy rope along its basal margin

which helps the net to sink. 4

fishermen are required to operate this

type of gear.

Encircling net (Mushari jaal) is the most

important gear, widely used throughout

the year except in monsoon season. It

is used for catching fishes in deep

waters. The length of the net is 40 ft

and width is 30 ft. The width of the

gear is generally expanded by tying 3-5

pieces of the rectangular nets according

to the area available for catching

fishes. The mesh size of the net is

0.7cm (fig.33) while at the bottom the

mesh size is 2cm for 5-6 rows. The

top of the gear is attached with floats

(fig.35) for floating, so that the gear

remains in stretched form, and for the

visualisation of area covered by the

gear. The distance covered by the net

was approximately 30-40 ft and varies

according to the tying of large number

of nets together. Single operation is

completed in 4-5 hours.

83 J. Adv. Zool. 2016 : 37 (2)

Fig 4 (B): Fishing

Fig 1: Ring Cast Net

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Stick (Fig:6) (hook) also used in this area

which is commonly known as ‘Barasi’.

The length of the line is generally 20-

25 ft, but varies according to the

depth of water.

New exclusive type of net found in this

area called Pinjra (Fig:7) (Fish trap). It is

a type of box made up of bamboo

pieces interwoven by nylon threads.

The length, breadth and height of the

trap are 6ft, 3ft and 3ft respectively

84 J. Adv. Zool. 2016 : 37 (2)

Fig 6: Hook of Stick

Fig 7: Pinjara

Fig 5 (B): Entangling Net

Fig 6: Stick

Fig 5 (A): Entrangling Net

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The trap is placed on the bank of river

with one side open and left for

overnight, so that the fish enters the

trap from the open side. On 2nd day,

the trap is removed from the water and

the fishes trapped in it are harvested.

Crafts

Two common crafts have been

investigated (Fig:8). Pirogue is one of

those. It is a kind of small boat with flat

bottom. The boat has a capacity of

only two fishermen that can propel the

boat at the two end points. There is a

flat bottom which meets the plane of

the side that allows the boat to move

smoothly even in shallow water. The

design of the boat is made as such

that if somehow the water may get

into the boat, it is easily turned over

to drain water. The boat is propelled

by a long bamboo stick (6-7 m) which

allows the boat to move in different

directions.

Sometimes the sailing method of the

Pirogue is different due to high speed

flow of water at barrage. One of the

fishermen runs along the bank while

pulling a rope held by other fisherman

in the boat to take the boat to the

barrage.

85 J. Adv. Zool. 2016 : 37 (2)

Fig 7: Pinjara

Fig 8: Pirogue

Fig 8: Pirogue

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One of the major drawback of this craft is

water gets easily into the boat if the

flow or current of water is high. Due

to less height of the boat the chance

of turnover is more which leads to

high risk of fishermen’s life in deep

waters.

Another different type of boat/craft is

Dinghi which is sailed by a hand

propeller (Oar) instead of using motors

in large motor dinghis. The boat is

usually 4-6 m long and internally

partitioned by multi-piece wooden logs

for strength and nesting to overcome

jumbling of fishes.

The boat is usually used for carrying

fishes from catchment area to bank of

river. The boat has grater buoyancy

which allows the boat to sail with

large carrying capacity.

CONCLUSION

The different types of gears used by

fishermen in Punjab are Gheraw Jaal

(Drag net), Current jaal (Stationary gill

net), Ghumaav jaal (Cast net), Kadha

jaal (Ring cast net), Phansi jaal

(Entangling net), Mushari jaal

(Surrounding net) and Stick. The mesh

size of the gears vary from 0.5-4 cm.

Out of these gears, it has been

observed that severe damage in fish is

caused by the Current jaal (Stationary

gill net) and stick causes stress in fish.

The mesh size of the Ghumaav jaal

(Cast net) should be increased from 1

cm to 2 cm so that the sand, very

small fish fingerlings (that are not

desired) and other wastes should not be

retained in the net, otherwise it causes

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Fig 8 (B) : Dinghi

Fig 8 (A) : Dinghi (Oprational)

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decrease in fish population and increase

labour for washing. Crafts used in

Punjab in such kind of water are

Pirogue and Dinghi, with size 5m and

6m respectively. Crafts are well

designed accordingly but in Pirogue

some modification are required

according to River.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Authors are thankful to the professional

fishermen of Punjab, Harike wetland

fish contractor viz, Babu Shiv Lal Ji,

Ropar fish contractor viz, Shri Gurmeet

Singh Ji and the Bawa Khel Prem Fish

Company who gave full support and

patience for the completion of the

work.

Table 1: Description about common gears used in lentic and lotic water of Punjab

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Local name Common name Shape Length (ft) (Aprox)

Height (ft) (Aprox)

Mesh size (cm) (Aprox)

Person Required

1 Gheraw jaal Drag net Rectangular 30 6 0.5 2-4

2 Current jaal Stationary gill net Rectangular 30-40 7 1-4 2

3 Ghumaav jaal Cast net Umbrella 20-25 -- 1 1

4 Kada jaal Ring Cast net Umbrella 30 -- 2 1

5 Phansi jaal Entangling net Rectangular 25 20 4 4

6 Mushari jaal Encircling net Rectangular 40 30 0.7 8-10

7 Barasi Stick Pipe like 4.5 -- -- 1

8 Pinjra Fish Trap Cubical 6 3 -- 1

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