1 OCEAN CONSERVATION EDUCATION ACTION NETWORK

More is known about the surface of the moon than our ocean! This is true especially in the case of India because although we have many researchers, being a megadiverse country more support is needed to provide data that can make evidence-based collaborative holistic conservation action possible. To fill this data gap/lacuna we encourage many more of you to submit data. All this data is being collected with the aim of building a better understanding of marine biodiversity to ensure informed conservation strategies and actions.

Photographic guidelines for sharks

Take pictures of-

  1. Ventral view of the whole body (shark/ray)
  2. Ventral view of the head (showing the teeth for sharks and nasal curtain for rays)
  3. Ventral view of the claspers and the anal fin (shark/ray)
  4. Dorsal view of the whole body (shark/ray)
  5. Photo of the dorsal fin
  6. Photo of the tail/caudal fin
  7. Lateral view of the whole body
  8. A photo where the position of all the fins relative to each other is seen)
  9. A reference point like your foot placed next to the animal, it can also be a wooden ruler or a pen.

How to identify different stages of life in sharks?

Work in progress

How to identify different fishing gears?

Trawl Net: A large closed funnel-shaped net that has floats and weights to keep the net open and is pulled across the water behind a mechanised boat
Trawl Net: A large closed funnel-shaped net that has floats and weights to keep the net open and is pulled across the water behind a mechanised boat
Gill net: Also known as the ‘wall of death’, a gill net is a rectangular net that is immersed in the water at different levels (touching the bottom, floating in mid-water and surface) with weights and floats and left in the water for a few hours at a time. It also has buoys at either end and sometimes these buoys have lights so the fisherfolk can find the nets when they return to collect the net.
Gill net: Also known as the ‘wall of death’, a gill net is a rectangular net that is immersed in the water at different levels (touching the bottom, floating in mid-water and surface) with weights and floats and left in the water for a few hours at a time. It also has buoys at either end and sometimes these buoys have lights so the fisherfolk can find the nets when they return to collect the net.
Hook and line: This gear is not a fishing net but a single line with a hook that has a bait to catch the fish relevant species.
Hook and line: This gear is not a fishing net but a single line with a hook that has a bait to catch the fish relevant species.
Long line: This is a long line with many hooks with baits to catch the fish/relevant species.
Long line: This is a long line with many hooks with baits to catch the fish/relevant species.

How to identify different fishing boats?

  • Country craft:
    Boats that don’t have a motor or an engine and are powered by humans alone.
  • Motorised boat:
    A boat with less Horsepower than a mechanised boat and can have both Out Board Motor or In Board Motor.
  • Mechanised:
    Mechanised fishing vessel means a ship or boat fitted with mechanised means of propulsion having an engine not less than fifteen Horsepower but not more than one hundred and twenty Horsepower and measuring in length not less than eight metres and not more than fifteen metres.

Some terms that need explanation

Work in progress

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