The Coronavirus Disease 2019 began as locally socializing contamination; hence the World Health Organization has professed the worldwide pandemic situation in 2020 (WHO, 2020). Due to the pandemic situation the government of India has announced lockdown on 24th March 2020 throughout the Country. This lockdown created an economic crisis directly and indirectly, altered the employment opportunity, income, food security and affects fisheries supply chains, tourism, and agricultural activities mainly in the rural part of India (Das et al., 2022). The closure of fishing activities for more than two months affected the food security significantly (Surya et al., 2021; Das et al., 2022). The fisheries activities were entirely closed initially and then the government allowed to continue fishing operations within some boundaries, after significant pressure given by civil society emphasising the importance of fishing in food provision (Mohan, 2020). Among the fishing methods, the small-scale fishery (SSF) plays a crucial role in providing employment and income to many fishers for their livelihoods and dependent families around the world. SSF in developing countries contribute over half of the seafood catch of which 90–95% is for human consumption (FAO, 2015). The small-scale fishers in Tamil Nadu, India earned income from the favourable fishing season and most of their income is spent regularly within few months (Fishery and aquaculture economics and policy division, 1983). Traditionally fishing in the coastal regions practicing by deployment of man-made reefs, fish gathering devices and plants-based shelters to enhance the fish resources for fishing in the localised environment.
One of the traditional fishing gears employed along the Palk Bay region is trap with specialised structure of funnel shaped entrance that restrict the fish escape from the trap. The trap method of fishing is locally called “Koodumeen pidiththal” usually operated at shallow regions with a maximum depth of 9 meters where the associations of rocks, coral rubbles and live corals are available. This method targets the catch of coral reef-associated fishes (Varghese et al., 2008; Murugan and Durgekar, 2008). Many people prefer the trap fishery in this region due to less capital investment for construction of traps, easy to haul from small traditional craft (Kattumaram) and high income accrued from the trap fishery (Varghese et al., 2017). The variety of fishes from the trap fishery includes Parrot fish, Groupers, Rabbit fish, Emperors, Snappers, Goat fishes, Grunts, Threadfin bream, Trevally fish, triggerfish, Puffer fish and Porcupine fish. To avoid trapping of juvenile fishes 30–40 mm mesh size of the traps used to catch only the matured fishes which was suggested by Prajith and Ramesan (2019). Numerous literatures are available on the trap fishery globally (Kopp et al., 2020; Stevens, 2021; Farrag et al., 2020; Gomes et al., 2014; Grandcourt et al., 2011). However, works are scanty in India. In earlier studies the perch-fishery using special traps has been reported in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. The materials used for fabricating traps are Odai tree (Acacia planifrons), Eecha tree’s sticks (Phoenix sylvestris), and Palmyra leaves (Borassus flabellifer) and the trap set-up is pinned by polypropylene wires (Prabhu, 1954), and the catch trend of trap fishery has been described in Keelakarai and Rameswaram (Lal Mohan, 1985). Multiple funnel shaped entrance of trap using in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay region was described (Varghese et al., 2008). Seasonal abundance of coral reef-associated fishes has been studied in Keelakarai region (Murugan & Durgekar, 2008) along with the diversity, occurrence, economic aspects of snappers and job fish fisheries in the Gulf of Mannar region (Murugan et al., 2014). Comparative performance of three types of traps and diversity of reef fishes collected from the trap fishery at Keelakarai, Gulf of Mannar was described (Kalaiarasan et al., 2014; 2015 and Varghese et al., 2017). With this backdrop, the present work was carried out to understand the catch and value of fishes collected through trap fishing and influence of COVID-19 lockdown on the fish market value.