Fishery resources in the Indian EEZ: Recommendations for deep-sea fisheries development

The marine fishery resources potential is estimated to be 3.92 x 10 super(6) tonnes. The data collected through the exploratory surveys conducted by the Fishery Survey of India (FSI) have not only been the basis of this estimated potential but the source of knowledge on the types of resources and their distribution in time and space. Considering the current level of annual marine fish production, 2.69 x 10 super(6) tonnes, the potential entails additional harvestable yield of about 1.3 x 10 super(6) tonnes. This additional yield will be mainly from the deep-sea and oceanic sectors. For further development of fisheries in the Indian EEZ, application of a number of fishing techniques viz. bottom trawling for deep-sea fin-fishes, cephalopods, deep-sea shrimps and deep-sea lobsters; mid-water trawling for columnar species and tuna longlining for oceanic stocks of tuna and allied species should be considered. These techniques used in exploratory surveys were proved to be effective. The effectiveness of these and the availability of the resources were further confirmed by the dee-sea fisheries vessels operated under various deep-sea fishing schemes. However, some of the commercial techniques such as mid-water trawling for columnar resources and purse-seining for oceanic tunas need to be experimented for recommending its commercial scale application in the Indian seas. In the present scenario of fisheries development, there is a need for adapting suitable strategies for rational development aimed at sustainable exploitation and conservation of the fish stocks in the Indian EEZ.