Traditional fishing gears and fishing practices from Radhanagari Tehsil Kolhapur District, Maharashtra

Abstract

Throughout the world, freshwater fishes are exploited on a large scale for flesh and revenue. In the present work, we have highlighted the various indigenous fishing techniques performed by fishers to catch freshwater fish from Radhanagari Tehsil, Kolhapur District Maharashtra. The Radhanagari tehsil is well known for both lotic (Dudhganga River, Bhogawati River and Tulshi River) and lentic (Dudhsagar dam, Radhanagari dam, Tulshi dam) freshwater resources. The local fishers of Radhanagari tehsil were actively engaged in freshwater fishing. In this study, information was collected from the fishermen by both primary and secondary sources. The fishers belong to Khatik, Bhoi and Muslim communities and they are traditionally depending upon freshwater resources for their subsistence. These all communities were applying traditional based methods for fishing the freshwater fish. Fishers used various traditional gears and other devices for fishing purposes, the fishing gears comprising gill nets, cast nets, dol nets, traps of bamboo baskets, spears, hooks and lines etc. Since ancient times, these fishing gears or devices were used by fishers for commercial and domestic fishing purposes. This traditional-based fishing technique will help in the sustainable exploitation of fish resources without harming the natural ecosystem. Therefore, indigenous knowledge should be maintained and preserved as seek of ecological sustainability and health perspective.