Post harvest losses in marine fisheries

In India, fish is the major source of protein for over one-third of the population especially for the rural poor in coastal areas. The per capita consumption of fish in India is 9.8 kg. against the recommended intake of 13 kg. The marine fish production has also been stagnating over recent years (CMFRI, 2004). As per FAO, the post harvest loss in world fisheries is 10%. Considering the nutritional significance coupled with stagnating catches in India, it is imperative that losses at all levels should be reduced. A pilot study to assess harvest and post harvest losses in the marine sector was carried out by Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin, Kerala, India in collaboration with Indian Agricultural Statistics Research institute, New Delhi, India. This paper presents the results obtained vis-a-vis the post harvest sector in the study.