Eco-Friendly Fishing Lures: One of the best ways to practice sustainable fishing is to use biodegradable fishing lures. Since rubber doesn’t break down, in the water or in a fish’s stomach, a good substitute is biodegradable plastic that will dissolve over time. An added perk to these eco-friendly options is that the soft lures can be made in all colors and designs to attract your target fish just as effectively as traditional lures. Eco Fishing Weights: Not only is lead toxic to humans, but it’s dangerous for fish as well, causing both physical and behavioral changes. That’s why many manufacturers today produce sinkers made from safer materials that will cause less damage if ingested or left in the water. Some common substitutes used in non-toxic weights are brass, steel, tungsten or tin. You’ll also want to make sure they’re chip resistant to prevent paint loss in the water. And remember that while these variations may be a little more expensive than lead lures, the benefits outweigh the costs. Eco Fishing Line: Like lures, anglers today can opt for biodegradable monofilament line fishing line that breaks down faster yet still has the same performance characteristics as regular line. Even if you don’t have biodegradable line, you can take steps to properly dispose of your traditional line to reduce your impact on the environment. For example, many bait shops, fishing access points, piers and other spots have designated collection bins for discarded monofilament and fluorocarbon fishing line. Other Eco Fishing Tackle and Equipment: Anglers have several other eco-friendly options nowadays. For example, when you’re choosing hooks, opt for circle hooks instead of J-hooks to minimize internal damage if you’re practicing catch and release. Look for rigs made of materials like glass beads. Pick knotless nets. Instead of using fresh bait collected from fish habitats, choose artificial. And when you’re picking out other gear like waders, bags or boxes, look for those made from recycled materials. ECO-FRIENDLY ANGLING Beyond fishing gear, there are other ways to practice eco-friendly fishing. If you catch and release, in addition to choosing barbless circle hooks, be sure to use the right eco-friendly fishing lures for the species to avoid exhausting the fish, keep your catch wet and limit the time the fish stays out of the water to increase the chance of survival. It’s also important to pay attention to the area around you. Take your trash with you to prevent fish and other wildlife from eating or getting caught in your rubbish. If you’re boating, consider rowing or paddling a canoe rather than a motorized choice. If you do go in a power boat, be careful when you’re navigating over fragile habitats and be careful to prevent fuel spills.

1. Ecofriendly fishing gear
and fishing practices
ASHISH SAHU

2. Contents
No. Title
1. What is eco friendly gear?
2. If fishing is not eco-friendly!
3. Eofriendly approaches…
4. Innovations in trawl for modification.
5.
6.
Conclusion
Reference

3. What is an Eco friendly fishing gear?
 Decreases impacts of fishing on habitat.
 Optimise catches of target and minimises unwanted catches.

4. If fishing is not eco-friendly,

5. After effects of destructive gears…

6. Modifications done in the destructive
gears…
 Turtle exclusion devices fixed in trawl nets.
 Medina panel and back down principle to release dolphins.
 Circular hooks used in long lines to avoid shark bycatch
 Streamer lines used in tuna long lines to avoid incidental bird catch

7. Eco friendly approaches…
 1. Traps
 Popular trap : Collapsible Kalava trap

8. Lobster traps and Octopus pots

9. Cont’d…
 Modified Salmon traps to avoid seal capture
 Grid in the entrance prevents seals from entering the trap.
 Ecofriendly because the captured salmon is safe from seal attack and
seals are not trapped.

10.  Turtle traps

11. cont’d…
 Floating traps and weirs,which guide the fish ever smaller boxes,harm
neither fish nor the environment.
 Reef nets
 Used for salmon in the Northwest, are shallow,near –the –surface
nets that the salmon swim right into,then are tripped into holding
tanks.
 Wire meshed traps that lie on the bottom can damage the ocean floor
if they’re dragged,which led to their being banned in some parts of the
world.Used properly,they’re usually not harmful.

12. 2.Hook and lining(also called pole catching)
 Use of a rod with one line and several hooks.
 Catch is hauled in manually or with a mechanised reel.
 Ecofriendly because,fisherman can quickly release unwanted catch
from their hooks soon after it was caught.

13. 3.Harpooning
 To catch larger fishes(sword fish,blue fin tuna)with hand-thrown
harpoons or with barbs fired from a gun.
 Highly selective method since target must be seen before striking and
mature fish is only targeted.
 Ecofriendly because, bycatch is almost non existent,since fishermen
are aiming individual targets.

14. 4. Trolling
 Involves towing individual anchored lines from a moving boat.
 Ecofriendly because,bycatch is minimal and can be quickly released.
 Pole and line fishing
 Used for tuna fishery.
 Ecofriendly because, no bycatch.

15. 5.Diving and snorkelling for fish
 Free diving(using mask and snorkel) or scuba diving is a traditional
method for collecting lobster,abalone,seaweed,sponges and reef
dwelling fishes.
 Hand collection by divers is selective and least damaging fishing
method,provided harvesting is carried out responsibly.

16. Innovations introduced in trawls to make
them eco friendly.
 1.High speed demersal trawl
 Developed by CIFT for operation from FORV Sagar Sampada.
 A false ground line 30cm below the actual ground rope
inorder to keep gear just above sea bed is made.
 Ecofriendly because, this arrangement allows shallow
water mix and other non target finfish to escape.

17. Cont’d…
 2. Semi pelagic trawls
 Developed by CIFT.
 It has a high lead line, capable of being used offbottom with increased
fishing capacity from the improved mouth-opening.
 Gear moves 2-3 m above bottom,targeting the resource that aggregate
in the water column close to the bottom.Large mesh is used in the fore
part.
 Ecofriendly because, it cause only less damage to bottom fauna and
non target fish.

18. Conclusion
 Selective and ecofriendly fishing practices should be applied to
conserve biodiversity,population structure and fish quality.
 Selectivity of fishing gear ,gear restrictions and area restrictions
determines the eco friendly nature of a fishing gear.
 Some of the eco-friendly fishing gears include
harpoons,troll,traps,hook and line etc…
 Some of the eco friendly fishing methods include trolling,
pole and line,harpooning,diving and snorkelling for fish etc…
 In general,the mentioned fishing methods do no harm
to the oceans and fishes,but if used improperly,some can.

19. Reference
 FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries. No. 1, Suppl. 2.Rome,FAO.2009. 49p.
 El Gamal,A.A.,Abdullah,S., and Barrania, A.(editors).2002.Environmentally friendly
Aquaculture and fisheries practices,workshop proceedings,15-17 September
2002.Hurghada,Egypt.173pp
 B.Meenakumari ,Usha Bagirathan,Satyen Kumar Panda.(2014).Impact of bottom trawling on
the epifauna off Veraval Coast,India
 www.fao.org