The quantity and the value of fish production went up by more than 30 per cent in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in Karnataka during 2010-11. Fishermen in these districts got 2.52 lakh tonnes of fish in 2010-11 as against 1.89 lakh tonnes in 2009-10, recording a growth of 33 per cent.

The value of the fish-catch stood at Rs 1,032.42 crore during 2010-11as against Rs 764.86 crore in 2009-10, recording a growth of 34.98 per cent.

Mr Suresh Kumar Ullal, Deputy Director, Fisheries Department, Mangalore, told Business Line that oil sardine species has contributed significantly to the increase in the fish production during the year.

The share of oil sardine stood at 38,940 tonnes. Of this, Udupi district garnered a major share with 25,685 tonnes. The value of oil-sardine catch stood at Rs 38.31 crore.

The second biggest catch by volumes during the year was that of Indian mackerel. The catch of Indian mackerel was at 32,333 tonnes. Of this, the share of Udupi district was 19,022 tonnes. The total catch fetched around Rs 140.17 crore in the market.

Though the catch of cuttlefish stood at 10,576 tonnes in these two districts, the variety earned Rs 147.75 crore in the market.

With a production of 21,164 tonnes, ribbon fish contributed 8.38 per cent to fish production in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. This catch of ribbon fish recorded a price of around Rs 128.30 crore during 2010-11.

A catch of 16,648 tonnes of squids along the coast of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi commanded a price of Rs 116.86 crore in the market during the period.

The threadfin breams variety with 20,066 tonnes of fish catch helped earn Rs 80.11 crore to fishermen in these districts.

Asked about growth in the value of fish production during 2010-11, Mr Ullal said there was around 30 per cent increase in the cost of fish, irrespective of species, during the year. This was the main reason for the total value crossing Rs 1,000 crore in these two districts, he said.

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