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PC: The Hindu

Context

India's marine fisheries sector has reached its maximum potential yield; however, immediate action is required to maintain sustainable fishing methods while balancing economic growth and marine conservation.

India's Fishery Sector

• India is the world's second-largest fish producer, accounting for around 8% of total production. 
• It possesses extensive and diverse inland fisheries resources, including 0.28 million kilometers of rivers and canals, 1.2 million hectares of floodplain lakes, 2.45 million hectares of ponds and tanks, and 3.15 million hectares of reservoirs.
• India's marine fisheries potential is estimated at 5.31 million tons, with activity dispersed across the country's extensive coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Concerns Related to the Fisheries Sector in India

• Stabilised Yields: India’s marine fisheries have plateaued at 3–4 million tonnes annually, indicating a limit in capture fisheries growth.
  
  
• Unequal Gains: Despite comprising 90% of the fishing workforce, small-scale fishers catch only 10% of the total fish volume; mechanized operations dominate the rest.
  
  
• Widespread Poverty: Around 75% of fisher families live below the poverty line, highlighting deep-rooted economic inequality in the sector.
  
  
• Technological Inefficiency: While mechanization and upgrades have increased costs, they have not proportionally increased catch, leading to unsustainable investments.
  
  

Ecological and Environmental Concerns

• Overfishing and Juvenile Catch: The use of sub-legal mesh sizes (<25 mm) results in the capture of juvenile fish, reducing spawning stock biomass and affecting species sustainability.
  
  
• Species Decline: Commercial species such as sardine and mackerel face long-term or irreversible decline due to continuous juvenile fishing.
  
  
• Bycatch in Trawling: For every 1 kg of shrimp, over 10 kg of bycatch (often dead or dying) is discarded, causing immense biodiversity loss.
  
  
• Habitat Destruction: Trawling severely damages marine habitats, including reefs and food webs, further endangering marine ecosystems.
  
  

Regulatory Challenges

• Fragmented Policies: Each coastal State/UT has a separate Marine Fisheries Regulation Act (MFRA), leading to a regulatory patchwork.
  
  
• Loophole Exploitation: Disparate laws allow fishers to land juvenile fish in one state, even if illegal in another, facilitating protected species laundering.
  
  
• Weak Enforcement: Inconsistent regulatory implementation hinders conservation efforts and enables overexploitation.
  
  
• Global Warnings: India's trends mirror historic fishery collapses like Canada’s cod crash (1992) and California’s sardine collapse (1960s–1980s), underlining the urgent need for reform.

What causes inequity in India’s marine fisheries despite high yields?

• Dominance of Mechanized Fishing: Large mechanised vessels catch the vast bulk of fish, leaving small-scale fisherman with a limited share. For example, although accounting for 90% of the population, small-scale fishers catch just 10% of overall marine output.
• Low Income Despite High Effort: A marginal increase in catch necessitates significant investment in gasoline, engines, and nets, raising debt for traditional fishermen. Even with larger engines, returns do not increase commensurate, exacerbating poverty in fishing villages.
• Bycatch and Wasteful Practices: Large-scale trawling discards many juvenile and non-target species, diminishing long-term resource availability. For example, shrimp trawlers discard more than ten kilograms of bycatch for every one kilogram of shrimp caught.
• Regulatory fragmentation: Different state regulations allow for the exploitation of legal gaps, resulting in illegal or unsustainable practices. For example, a fish species forbidden in one jurisdiction can be caught and sold in a neighboring state.
• Lack of Inclusive Governance: Small-scale fishermen play a minor involvement in fisheries decision-making and profit sharing processes. For example, fisheries subsidies and infrastructure primarily benefit large operators, excluding indigenous communities.

Quota Management System (QMS): The Quota Management System (QMS) aligns science and policy by determining total permissible catches based on stock assessments and awarding tradable quotas. For example, New Zealand's QMS, which was implemented in 1986, managed to sustain and regenerate major fisheries through individual transferable quotas. Minimum Legal Size (MLS) Regulations: Enforcing size limitations helps fish to mature and spawn, resulting in long-term stock recovery and higher fishing profits. For example, once Kerala introduced MLS for threadfin bream, catch rates increased by 41% in a single season.

Government Efforts & Initiatives

• Union Budget 2025–26 allocated the highest-ever budgetary support of ₹2,703.67 crores to the fisheries sector.
  
  
• Emphasis on sustainable harnessing of fisheries in EEZ and High Seas, especially focusing on Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
  
  
• National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB): Ensures sustainable development and supports fish farmers.
  
  
• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): Focuses on inland fisheries and aquaculture, contributing to production and food security.
  
  
• Blue Revolution Scheme: Aims to enhance production and productivity from inland and marine resources via multi-dimensional initiatives.
  
  

Technological Advancements

• Satellite Technology: Use of Oceansat, Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ), and Vessel Communication Systems.
  
  
• GIS-Based Resource Mapping: Helps map marine fish landing centres and fishing grounds for better resource planning.
  
  

India’s Sustainable Fishing Efforts

• National Policy on Marine Fisheries (2017): Anchored on sustainability, guiding conservation and management of marine resources.
  
  

Regulation and Conservation Measures

• Uniform Fishing Ban: 61-day monsoon ban in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to allow stock regeneration.
  
  
• Prohibited Fishing Methods: Bans on pair trawling, bull trawling, and LED light fishing.
  
  
• Sustainable Practices: Encourages sea ranching, artificial reefs, and mariculture (e.g., seaweed cultivation).
  
  

Best Practices and Global Models

• New Zealand’s Quota Management System (QMS):
  
  
• Implements science-based catch limits and transferable quotas.
  
  
• Rebuilt fish stocks by aligning ecological health with policy.
  
  
• Suggestion: India can pilot QMS for its mechanised fleet.
  
  
• Kerala’s Minimum Legal Size (MLS):
  
  
• Led to a 41% increase in catch in one season by allowing fish to mature before capture.
  
  

Way Forward: Science-Based National Framework

• Implement a unified management system with:
  
  
• National MLS for species
  
  
• Fishing gear restrictions
  
  
• Closed seasons based on spawning
  
  
• Scientific catch limits
  
  
• Need for national standardisation:
  
  
• Harmonised MLS and catch limits
  
  
• Uniform gear rules
  
  
• Integrated, science-based management
  
  

FMFO Challenges and Reforms

• FMFO industry incentivises bycatch.
  
  
• Recommendations:
  
  
• Cap FMFO quotas
  
  
• Mandate onboard release of juveniles
  
  
• Redirect bycatch to aquaculture
  
  

Multi-Level Action Required

• Centre: Shift to ecosystem-based regulation, improve licensing/subsidy frameworks.
  
  
• States: Strengthen enforcement, adopt tech-based monitoring.
  
  
• Communities: Empower fisher cooperatives to co-manage marine sanctuaries.
  
  
• Consumers: Support sustainably sourced and legal-sized seafood.
  

Practice Question Q. Considering the ecological and economic consequences of overfishing, should India adopt a stricter national regulatory framework