FishSource

India Palk Bay blue swimming crab - gillnet (FIP)

Last Updated: 2024-02-14

Progress Rating: A

Evaluation Start Date: 2019-06-03

Type: Comprehensive

Status: Active

FIP Lead: Crab Meat Processors Association (CMPA)

Stock Profile Link
Blue swimming crab - India

Comments:

The last stage 4 has been reported within the past 12 months. The FIP remains A rated.

1. FIP Development	Feb 19	Fishery assessment or scoping document made public 27 February 2019 — MSC pre-assessment made public
2. FIP Launch	Sep 19	Confirmation of project participants 16 September 2019 — Participants confirmed
2. FIP Launch	Jul 22	Workplan made public 10 July 2022 — Updated 2022 workplan 3 June 2019 — Workplan made public
3. FIP Implementation	Nov 23	FIP activities undertaken 28 November 2023 — The Tamil Nadu government continues to enforce penalties for rule violations; the Ramanathapuram district reported 590 violations but no vessels affiliated with the UoA were implicated. 1 November 2023 — The FIP continues to collect data on a monthly basis on the occurrence of berried female and their carapace width (cw) and wet weight (g) from nine BSC landing centers; the data demonstrates that most of the crabs landed are above the prescribed minimum cw of 90 mm. 30 October 2023 — The FIP participated in the annual meeting of the Crab Meat Association (CMPA); participants at the meeting agreed to conduct a seagrass survey in the Tanjore district. 14 September 2023 — The FIP has entered into a MoU with Tamil Nadu Fisheries University in an effort to partner on stock assessment studies. 1 May 2023 — The FIP continues to collect and record data on the berried female crab on a monthly basis; data from three of the landing centers have been made available from Jan 2023- April 2023 and demonstrate that the majority of the crabs landed are above the minimum weight (CW). 1 May 2023 — The FIP is participating in a seagrass restoration campaign; outreach materials are being circulated and local workshops are being conducted for the community 1 May 2023 — The FIP continues to collect data on non-target species from bottom gillnets; analysis on non-target species composition is pending. 31 January 2023 — Turtle release efforts are underway in the Palk Bay Dugong Conservation Reserve 14 December 2022 — The Tamil Nadu State government enforcement division has increased enforcement efforts and issuing sanctions 1 October 2022 — The FIP continues to collect data on the berried female; data from June 2022- October 2022 has been made available 1 June 2022 — The Department of Fisheries, Tamil Nadu is vigilant and is imposing penalties and fines on vessels without license. 1 April 2022 — The FIP continues to collect data on a monthly basis on the berried female; data from November 2021- April 2022 is available 1 December 2021 — FIP conducted training on best practices to release juvenile and berried crabs 12 November 2021 — Village level committee meeting minutes and district level meeting minutes have been made available 1 November 2021 — Landing data analysis from fishing trips conducted in November 2021. 1 May 2021 — The percentage of crabs landed below Minimum Legal Size (MLS) was 5.64% and 6.23% respectively during 2020 and 2021 1 May 2021 — Outreach posters were desiged by CMPA in local language to create awareness among crab processors 1 May 2021 — Tamil Nadu Government is still in the process of strengthening its Marine Enforcement wing; newly formed enforcement wing now has officers in all districts. 28 April 2021 — A comprehensive study was conducted by OMCAR foundation on marine mamma stranding (with a focus on dugongs) along Northern Pal Bay from 2009 to 2020. 1 December 2020 — CMPA has written letters to concerned authorities of Ramanathapuram, Nagapattinam and Trichy for details of fishing craft registration 1 May 2020 — Data collection continues to build maps detailing habitats and potential fishery impacts 1 May 2020 — The catch composition of BSGN and other fishing gears operated in the Palk bay region has been assessed in the Project area 1 May 2020 — Majority of the BSC fishing villages follow the proposed mesh size (90-110mm) as recommended in the BSC management Plan 1 May 2020 — All villages involved in crab fishing have a monitoring system to stop capture of juveniles and berried crab 1 May 2020 — Decision on optimum fleet size of gillnetters by the scientists of CMFRI for Tamil Nadu to increase the current fleet size of 2571 netters by 26% 5 March 2020 — FIP continues to collect data on a monthly basis in the format suggested by CMFRI 11 December 2019 — All BSC fishing crafts are registered with the district level State Fisheries Department and are being monitored by the enforcement wing 6 November 2019 — The FIP has sent letters to Marine Police Department to help in incidents of sea-cow (Dugong) poaching/catching in the area.
4. Improvements in Fishing Practices and Fishery Management	Nov 23	Verifiable improvement in policy/management and fishing practices 1 November 2023 — Increase to PI 2.3.3; The FIP has conducted a RBF of ETP species. Out of the five species identified as ETP, the spotted seahorse and the longnose seahorse scored above 80, the dugong scored between 60-79 and the sandfish and slender bamboo shark scored below 60. 6 October 2022 — The Tamil Nadu government has created a dugong conservation area in the Palk Bay. 18 December 2020 — Increase in BMT score 1.2.4; Stock assessment completed 18 December 2020 — Increase in BMT score 3.1.2; The Government of Tamil Nadu has formed a four tier Co-Management Council to manage Marine Fisheries sector which is now functional
5. Improvements on the Water	—	Verifiable improvement on the water
6. MSC certification (optional)	—	MSC certificate made public