TY  - BOOK
AU  - Dayaratne P.
AU  - Fernando, W.P.N.
TI  - Small Pelagic Fisheries in West and South Coast of Sri Lanka
CY  - Colombo
PB  - NARA
N2  - This paper analyses the fisheries carried out for small pelagic varieties 
in Western and Southern coasts of Sri Lanka, an area extending from 
Chilaw to Kirinda* The fishery was sampled fortnightly at fifteen 
major fish landing sites durii^j the year 1985*
Small mesh g ill nets, beach seines and purse seines were the main gear 
involved in the production of small pelagic varieties* While g ill nets 
were used throught the year use of purse seines and beach seines was 
seasonal and limited to non monsoonal months. The purse Beine had 
recorded a mean catch per unit effort (CRJE) of 246 kg/ operation, 
whei*eas the CRJE in the beaoh seine fishery was about 83 kg/ haul and that 
of small mesh g ill net fishery varied from 6.75 kg to 78*7 kg/ operation 
depending on oraft area and season of operation.
The estimated total annual production of small pelagic fish in the study 
area by these three gear was about 25,000 MT for the year 1985, and accounted 
for about 3§£ of the total small pelagic fish production of the island*
The contributions by the small mesh g ill nets, beach seines and purse 
seines to this total production were 90$» 8$ and 2$ respectively*
Sardinella si no dominated tfte catches of small mesh g ill nets and purse 
seines* Other shallow water species such as Stolsphorus spp* (Anchovies) 
and Leicgnathus spp (Sliver bellies) were the major contributors to
the beaoh seine catches
ER  -