Fish is an important item of diet of people of India living in the coastal states. However, fish is taken by people in other states too. Fish provide balanced diet full of vitamins and proteins. Fisheries play an important role in the Indian economy.

It augments food supply, generates employment and earns foreign exchange also. India ranks as sixth largest producer of marine and as the second largest in inland fisheries. In 1997-98, fish production was to the tune of 54 lakh tonnes, out of this nearly 55% catch was of marine fish.

India’s long coastline of 6100 kms, continental shelf of 31680 square km, enormous area under different types of water bodies like rivers, streams, canals, ponds, tanks lakes etc. have not been properly exploited for fishing with the result that India is a poor fishing nation in the world contributing 5% of the world production. The industry has been poor due to

(i) Old fishing boats and primitive methods of fishing.

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(ii) Poor landing and berthing facilities.

(iii) Lack of use of modern fishing vessels.

(iv) Tropical climate also discourages fishing activities.

(v) Inadequate and traditional methods of fish handling, preservation and canning.

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(vi) lack of quick means of transportation.

(vii) lack of marketing facilities.

(viii) a large variety of fish in tropical India it is difficult to catch one particular variety. Moreover, most of the fish in these waters is not edible.

(ix)Indian fishermen are poor, physically weak and sluggish.

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(x) lack of use of scientific techniques by the Indian fishermen due to lack of education and poverty.

Fisheries in India is of two types:

(i) Marine Fisheries

(ii) Inland Fisheries.

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Marine Fisheries.

Marine fisheries account for 55% of total fish catch in India.

These are of two kinds:

(i) Coastal Fisheries:

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India has vast fishing zone, where sardines, mackrel herring, shrimp, tuna, bonito shark, skate, halibut etc. species of fish abound.

Coastal fisheries catch is in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Orissa, A.P and Tamil Nadu.

(ii) Deep Sea Fisheries:

Deep sea fishing activity is not much developed in the country, thus efforts are on to exploit deep sea fish. Cochin, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Roychowk and Paradeep are major Indian fishing harbours.

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There are 30 minor fishing harbours and 140 fish landing centres spread over along the coast for facilitating landing and berthing of fishing vessels. The government sanctions loan to the fishermen so that they are able to motorize their small country fishing boats. This change shall enable fishermen to go far in the sea. This shall increase their fishing operational area with the result total fish catch and earnings of the fishermen are bound to increase appreciably.

Inland Fisheries.

Nearly 4 5% of India’s fish catch is from inland fisheries:

(i) Fresh water Fisheries are from rivers, ponds, tanks, lakes, canals, reservoirs and rivers.

(ii) Esturaine or brackish water fisheries (estuaries, deltas, back waters, lagoons etc.)

(i) Fresh water fish are mural, catfish, prauns, Rohu etc.

(ii)Esturaine fish include Perch, Catfish, Pearl Spot etc.

Back Water Aquaculture

Presently quick growing fish species are raised in tanks, ponds and reservoirs. Shrimp culture has attained great prominence and has become popular.

It has caught market in the USA and European countries BFDA (Brakish Water Fish Farmes Development Agencies) are successfully functioning in coastal regions of India and are doing yeoman’s service by way of providing training, finances and extension service to the Shrimp farmers.

The main object of back water aquaculture is to utilize India’s vast brackish water area’ for shrimp culture. So far nearly 20,211 h.a. areas have been developed for Shrimp culture.

Distribution of fish:

State wise distribution of fish in India is as under:

Kerala.

This state contributes 20% of India’s fish catch. Fishing is an important activity of Kerala. Fish constitute a major item of the diet of the people. Fish is caught over a large part of the state in the lagoons, backwaters, lakes and streams.

The major producers are the districts of Ernakulam, Quilon, Kozikhode, Cannanore and Thiruvanthapuram. There are nearly 275 fishing villages along the 590 km Coast line of the state. The important species caught are murrel, prawn, mullet etc. Cochin, Quilon, Calicut are major fishing ports of the state.

Maharashtra .

It produces nearly 12% of total fish of India. The state has ideal conditions for fish catch.

(i) The Coastline of 750 km length is indented

(ii)Cold storage facilities have been made available to the fishermen.

(iii) Co-operatives provide financial assistance to the fishermen.

(iv) Fish has large market in the state.

(v)The sea is calm for 7 months, thus facilitating fishing.

The major districts of fish catch are Ratnagiri, Mumbai, Kolaba etc. In Mahim and other creeks esturaine fishing is popular. The most important species of fish catch here are Indian Salmon, mullet, eel, shark etc.

Karnataka.

It accounts for 9% of total India’s production. The main fishing centres are Mangalore, Ankola, Kumta, Bingi, Malpe and Bokarpatnam. The main species caught are mackerl, shark prawn etc.

The creeks of Nanavati, Sharavati and Kali rivers and other thousands of water bodies are intensively searched for fish. Mangalore is an important centre for processing and canning of fish.

Gujarat .

The state contributes 9% of fish of India. There exist nearly 50 fishing ports and innumerable fishing villages in the state. The major centres are Dwarka, ICandla, Porbandar, Jafferabad etc. There abounds, a variety of fish, the important being Jewfish, powfret, Indian Salmon, mullet, eel, shark etc.

Tamil Nadu.

Fishing is intensively done in the coastal waters of the state which is nearly a thousand km in length.

The state accounts for nearly 20% of Indies fish. The major centres arc Ennore, Chennai, Tuticorin Cuddalore etc. Important species of fish caught are catfish, ribbon fish, mackerel. Tuticorin is a well known centre for fish canning in India.

Andhra Pradesh.

The state contributes nearly 10% offish of India. Vishakapatnam, Kakinada, Machlipatnam etc. are the main fishing centres. A variety of fish is caught. The methods of catch are traditional. Sardines, ribbonfish, cat fish, Sole etc. are the main species of fish caught in the state.

West Bengal .

Fish is an important item of diet of the Bengalis. There abounds a large variety of fish in the waters of West Bengal.

The main species being mackerel, Prawn, hilsa, chanda, bhola, shark, cod eel, catfish, sole etc. The Ganga delta is the major fishing area. Besides ponds, tanks, rivers are also an important source of fish in West Bengal. The per capita consumption of fish is the highest in West Bengal.

Orissa.

Chilka Lake.

Goa.

Creeks of Zuari, Mandovi, Sal and Arachol. Mormugao is the leading fish centre.

Other States.

U.P: River and reservoirs, Bihar: Rivers and reserviors, Assam: Rivers, H.P : Gobind sagar, Punjab : Harilce Pattan and Ponds.

Fish is an important item of export from India. In 1998-99 India exported fish worth Rs. 4627 crores.

Fisheries play an important role in the economy of India by way of augumenting food supply, generating employment, raising nutritional level of people’s diet and earning foreign exchange.

Development of Inland Fisheries

In recognition of the important role of inland fisheries in overall production of fish, the Government has been implementing an important programme in inland sector, viz., Development of Fresh water Aquaculture through the Fish Farmers Development Agencies (FFDAs).

These agencies provide a package of technical, financial and extension support to fish farmers. A network of 422 FFDAs is functioning covering all potential districts in the country. During 1998-99, about 41,000 ha of water area was brought under fish culture and 29,600 fish farmers were trained in improved aquaculture practices.

Development of Marine Fisheries

The Government is providing subsidy to poor fishermen for motorizing their traditional craft which increases the fishing areas and frequency of operation with consequent increase in catch and earnings of fishermen.

About 38,000 traditional crafts were sanctioned for motorization up to 1997-98.

Brackish water Aquaculture

The objective of this scheme is to utilize country’s vast brackish water area for shrimp culture. So far, an area of about 22,857 hectares has been developed for shrimp culture. Presently, Brackish water Fish Farmers Development Agencies (BFDA) functioning in the coastal areas of the country, provide a package of technical, financial and extension support to shrimp farmers.

An aquaculture authority has been established under the Environment Protection Act to control the coastal aquaculture and to ensure that the aquaculture activities are carried out in an environment-friendly and sustainable manner.

Development of Fishing Harbour

Six major fishing harbours viz., Kochi, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Roychowk, Sessoo dock (Mumbai) and Paradip, 30 minor fishing harbours and 130 fish landing centres have been constructed and one major fishing harbour at Sassoon dock, 15 minor fishing harbours and 28 fish landing centres are under construction to provide landing and berthing facilities to fishing craft.

Specialized Institutes

The Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Trading, Kochi, aims at making available sufficient number of operators of deep-sea fishing, vessels and technicians for shore establishments.

It has a unit each at Chennai and Vishakhapatnam. The Institute has an intake capacity of about 200 trainees per year. Integrated Fisheries Project, Kochi, envisages processing, popularizing and test marketing of unconventional varieties of fish.

The Central Institute of Coastal Engineering for Fisheries, Bangalore is engaged in techno-economic feasibility study for location of fishing harbour sites. Fishery Survey of India (FSI) is the nodal organization responsible for survey and assessment of fishery resources under the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It has seven operational bases at Mumbai, Porbandar, Kochi, Mormugao, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai and Port Blair.