Asian Journal of Current Research

Coastal marine capture fisheries are an important component of the coastal economy of West Bengal. The sector has gone through a rapid phase of mechanisation in the late 1990s. Currently majority of the catch is harvested by two types of mechanised boats, Mechanised trawl netters and gillnetters. The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic performance of these two types of mechanised boats, using standard economic indicators like break-even point analysis, productivity in catch/hour, catch/worker and Net present value. These were calculated with the help of primary data collected through purposive random sampling from the major fishing centres of Kakdwip, Namkahna and Digha in Coastal West Bengal, India. In order to calculate revenue, estimates of market price were obtained for the gillnetters and trawl netters. For monsoon (July-October), this has been set to Rs 300 /kilo (gillnetters), and 200 /kilo (trawl netters), and 200 /kilo (gillnetters), and Rs 180 /kilo (trawl netters). The results show that profitability is greater in the Monsoon season in both cases. In the longer winter season, the profitability of gillnetters is very low, while trawl netters remain profitable throughout the year. Trawl netters, despite requiring far greater initial investment, have greater productivity and profitability, and hence are less likely to indulge in Illegal and Unreported fishing practices. The carbon footprint for both kind of vessels  has been found to be greater in the case of the winter season, and at around 1.5-3 kg (CO₂)/ per kg of fish caught. Since gillnetters use multiple nets per year, net costs are much higher for the gillnetters; on the other hand, fuel costs are higher for the trawlers. Due to the borderline profitability of gill netters, the ratio of gill netters to trawl netters is likely to decrease in the future, given the continuous rise in fuel prices. The monsoon season remains more profitable; during the longer winter season, profitability declines, this is more in the case of the gillnetters.