EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLAPSIBLE FISH TRAPS FOR ESTUARINE FISHERIES IN VEMBANAD ESTUARY, KERALA

Abstract

Catch rate in trap fishing can be increased by deploying more traps, for which stackability is crucial. This study evaluates the performance of two collapsible fish trap designs, semi-collapsible and fully collapsible, which were tested in the Vembanad Estuary, Kerala, from April to July 2023. Four stainless steel traps of identical overall dimensions (1.0 × 0.60 m), comprising two fully collapsible and two semi-collapsible designs, were deployed repeatedly for a total of 120 operations during the study period, and catch per unit effort (CPUE) was calculated by trap type and month. Differences in catch composition were assessed using multivariate analyses, including non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM), and Similarity Percentage (SIMPER) analysis. The semi-collapsible trap recorded the highest CPUE (8.13 g h-¹). These lightweight traps are easy to transport and operate, offering small-scale fishers a low-maintenance alternative to traditional bamboo traps, with the potential to enhance income through improved catch efficiency.