Evaluation of Traditional Fishing Crafts and Gears in the Janjhavati Reservoir: Recommendations for Sustainable Fisheries

Fishing gears exhibit significant variation in structure, materials, capture mechanisms, and operational methods. In recent decades, the design and development of harvesting systems have advanced through studies in fish behavior, engineering, system analysis, and modeling. The introduction and widespread use of synthetic materials, improvements in vessel technology, navigational electronics, gear-handling equipment, fish detection techniques, and behavioral research have collectively transformed modern fishing gears such as trawls, purse seines, and longlines—enhancing their design, fabrication, efficiency, and catch capacity. Traditional fishing gears—such as entangling nets, hooks and lines, and traps—have also evolved, benefiting from design upgrades and improved operational efficiency. In recent years, the gear design process has been increasingly shaped by considerations of resource management, environmental conservation, and energy efficiency.