Marine fish landings in 2013 put at 3.93 mt

Adoption of hi-tech fishing methods coupled with easy access to satellite communication facilities have helped the country scale up its marine fisheries catch to 3.93 million tonnes from 0.5 million tonnes in the early 1950s.

Gradual shift from a predominantly conventional era of non-mechanised fishing in the 50s, the fishing crafts in the country have undergone a sea change over the years enabling fisherfolk to attain the skills of endurance to reach out to deeper waters far beyond the 12 nautical miles with the help of high-speed motors of up to 400 HP now being deployed. About 25 types of gears from boat-seines to trawlers are in vogue in this sector now.

A report prepared by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) on Marine Fish Landings in India (2013) revealed that the last five years have been upwardly mobile with only a four per cent decline last year largely due to fall in the commonly available oil sardines and inclement rough seas often making fishing ventures difficult.

The past five years also witnessed an increased occupation of smaller pelagic resources like oil sardines in top slots and a steady increase in the operation of mechanised crafts like trawlers.

However, the report stressed on the need to focus on increased deployment of high-speed, efficient engines which can increase the reach to unexplored areas but resulted in reduction in catch per unit effort (CPUE).

Referring to fish landing statistics, the report said that pelagic resources which are fish types predominantly in the upper layer of the ocean and into which most common fishes such as oil sardine, mackerel, tuna fall have been dominating the catch with 56 per cent.

The finfish species which are primarily noticed in the deeper ocean and termed as demersal resources have contributed to over 26 per cent last year followed by crustacea, the most sought after resources like prawns and lobsters, at 13 per cent.

The State-wise breakup of the landings indicates that Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu dominate the landings spectrum with Gujarat nudging ahead of Kerala.

The marine fish landing data is an indicative picture of the state wise fish resource availability to cater to domestic and international market. This would not only help in better management of landed resources but would clearly plan the marketing channels according to the inflow and outflow of resources.