Fungal decay of traditional fishing craft

Abstract

The artisanal fishermen land major portion of fish caught in India, employing traditional fishing craft and methods. These craft are built of indigenous wood and undergo rapid biodeterioration causing great economic loss. Soft-rot fungi with their filamentous structure, specialized enzymes systems and ability to withstand periodic wetting and drying of the craft are the principal agents of this biodeterioration. The paper highlights the work carried out on this aspect in India, the fungi involved, their role in the biodeterioration process, traditional and modern preventive methods, their economics with suggestions for future work. This study becomes important in view of the fishing industry turning towards traditional fishing craft for low energy fishing, due to economic strains