FELIX SEKAR TYBSc.

TS2223412

FIELD REPORT
Place of visit: Versova Jetty
Date: 14/03/2023

On 14th March the students of TY BSc. Fishery Biology visited the Fish
landing center in Versova Jetty. Our visit’s objective was to observe the
operations at the center, to make a checklist of fishes, crustaceans, and
mollusks that were caught and being sold, and to inquire about their
prices. A Fish landing center serves as a hub where fishermen unload
their catch, preserve it in ice, and sell it to buyers. Versova is an urban
village well known for its fishing business. Versova records a yearly
turnover of almost 400 crores thanks to its more than 300 trawlers! It has
given employment to over 5000 people. The landing center starts at late
noon where the day’s catch is auctioned in bulk. The center had boats
and trawlers lined up on the Jetty’s edge and was filled with fresh catch.
There were fishmongers mostly women, doing the business while the
men did the laborious work of loading and unloading the catch. I
observed that the Fish landing Center was not well organized but the
management was decent. The dock area was not very big which created
chaos and stress for everyone. A lot of fish buyers including our group
were milling about the market area, inspecting the catch, and haggling
prices with the fishermen. A substantial variety of fish was being
unloaded at the center, indicating that the fishermen were employing a
diversity of fishing techniques. The catch included fishes like Pomfrets,
Bombay ducks, Oil Sardines, Golden Anchovy and Ladyfinger fish,
crustaceans like Christ Crabs, Mud crabs, Spiny Lobsters and Tiger
Prawns, Mollusks like Clams, Squid and Cuttlefish, etc. (See illustrated
checklist of fishes, crustaceans and mollusks on pages 3&4). Dry fish
were also sold in bulk. Like any other Fish landing center, in Versova,
the local fishing business depends heavily on the catch. It gives
fishermen a single area to market their catch, allowing them to get paid
fairly for their labor. At the same time, it makes it possible for fish
purchasers to buy fish at a fair price, which they can then sell in nearby
markets or ship to other areas. Our educational visit to the Fish landing
center was informative and we all gained valuable insights into the
behind-the-scenes. The center gives employment and stimulates the local
economy. All things considered, the fish landing center is a crucial part
of the local fishing business, and its operations should be encouraged
and preserved.
 List of crustaceans

Mud Crab

Blue crab

Three spot crab

Christ crab
Tiger Prawn

Kuruma prawn
Jawala paste shrimp

Brown prawn

King prawn White prawn

List of mollusks

Indian Squid

Clams
Cuttlefish
Common Octopus
 List of fishes

Yellow pike conger eel

Golden Anchovy Barracuda

Fin Bream Finned Bullseye fish Bombay Duck

Ladyfinger fish
Threadfin fish Lizardfish

Silver Pomfret
Black Pomfret
Chinese Pomfret

Indian Mackerel Butterfish

Indian Oil Sardine Indian Marine catfish

Jewfish

Moonfish Tonguefish