06-bioresourcesstatu.. - M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

Pulicat Lake
Figure 5. Annual Income Status of Fisher Folk In
Pullcat Region.
Source : Fisheries Census, 3000
E;iLess 11m 3000
o 3001 to 6000
~ 600110 12000
1312001 to 15000
• ftOOJe 15000
Coromondal coast with tnternational contacts
between the 16 th and the 18 th centuries. Before
the arrival of the Portuguese and Dutch, there
were strong trade connections between Pulicat
and Eastern countries like China, Malaysia,
and Sumatra. Before 1816, there were more
than 1000 weaving looms. This came down to
100 during the 1980's. Mukundamman Koil
Street used to be busy with handloom activity
until a few decades ago, but after the arrival of
power loom lungies, which were cheaper, the
handloom lungi production dwindled and
nothing of it exists now.
• Boat Building Industry: This industry was at
Thoniravu. The Thoniravu literally mean the
place where boat (Thoni) building is done. It is
an island covered on three sides by the river
and one side by the canal. This island village
had a population of more than 1000 people who
were mostly Muslims and the rest of them were
scheduled castes. There were 160 families in
Thoniravu of which 15 families were involved in
the boat building Industry, while the rest were
involved with fishing. Each boat could cost
around RS.35000/- at the rate of RS.1200/foot
depending upon the thickness of the wood used.
Recently a modern boat-building workshop,
which uses fibre glass in place of wood, has
come up at Pulica!. They build boats of 27 feet
lengih and each boat costs about Rs.60000.
• Palm Leaf Industry: The Muslim women are
engaged in doing beautiful handicrafts out of
palm leaves, which they export to various
places through their cooperative. Pulicat
artisans have been working on this trade for
more than a hundred years and their products
had won some very good accolades and
national level recoguition. Right now around
300 women are involved in the knitting of these
articles and all of them were given special
training from the women's Cooperatives. This
industry has good scope for improvement in
148
future since handicrafts are in great favor
among the urban people.
• Fishing Industry: Fishing is the backbone of
the economy in Pulicat and its hinterlands. The
uniqueness of fishing in Pulicat is that it has
the largest prawn fish catch in India.
Fisherman who fish in the river use a small
boat while those who fish in the sea, use
catamarans and motorized boats depending on
their affordability. Fish are sold in the Bazaar
market, apart from a small local consumption;
the major catch is sent to bigger cities and
exported. There are established companies who
have contractual agreements with tbe
fisherman for purchasing their catch on term
basis. The catch includes a variety of species
from small fishes to large ones like sharks.
IV. Biodiversity & Conservation Values
The regionaViandscape diversity includes,
mangroves, wetlands, marine system, tropical dry
evergreen vegetation, shore vegetation, lake, and
cultivated fields with cashew, paddy, fruits and
vegetables. The lake also attracts and supports
many migratory and resident water birds.
I. Flora (Annexure ill)
The shore of the lake is sandy and open and
slopes gently towards the water edge. The
vegetation is sparse with trees, prickly pears,
herbs and some grasses. On the northern side of
the Pulicat lake the shore vegetation is formed of
many herbs and shrubs. Near the bar mouth no
plant was seen on the shore, but the littoral region
was strewn with masses. (ISRO-SHAR-TR-99-98,
1998)
Mangrove systems consist of 12 tree species
belonging to six families, six climbers belonging to
three families and eight grasses belonging to two
families. Tropical dry evergreen vegetation is
dominated by 11 tree species representing 8 .
families and three species of shrubs in three
different families. Apart from the above, Prosopis
juliflora is invading. Wetlands consist of six
species of halophytes belonging to two families.
The Marine system contains three species of
grasses in two families and six algal species
belonging to six families.
ii. Fauna (Annexure IV)
The faunal diversity of the lake include 25 species
of polychaete worms, 12 species of penaeid