Marine fish stocks of Indian EEZ, estimated at 3.5 million tonnes, are stated to be under exploitation at the average of 3.1 million tonnes annually by the Indian fishing fleet. Out of the rest (0.4 million tonnes) of the estimated resources, no assessment is available on how much out of this is being exploited by foreign vessels. Whatever be the actual position, it seems that there has been no percentage change in the output. In this situation, a remedial step to be taken to augment from fish production from the EEZ seems to be to organise cage farming all along the coastline and to release advanced fingerlings of the predetermined fish species so produced into the sea, under a well drawn integrated plan that takes care of the setting up of hatcheries for the purpose at selected places along the coastline, linked to advanced fingerlings raising, their storage and transport to the cage sites for stocking in cages by the stakeholders, who would have to be trained well, simultaneous to the setting up and operation of the cages. Fortunately, there is an enterprise in the country that manufactures cage material to meet national/international demand in this respect. In fact, as is known, CMFRI has already set up sea cages on an experimental basis at quite a few points along the coast, but for a different purpose, which seems to aim at general increase in fish production/socio-economic conditions of fishermen. Once the experimental stage for promoting cage production of fish by CMFRI is over, the main follow-up step has to be for spreading sea cage farming along the Nation’s coastline, for raising of advanced fingerlings (in cages) for sea stocking, based on a well drawn plan of an integrated nature that covers the sea-stocking of advanced fingerlings of the chosen identified species to serve the purpose of progressive restoration of declining marine stocks of the EEZ of the country. As at present, authorities have not yet told us specifically about the status of results of experimental sea cage farming and about the plans being thought of to advise the coastal State Governments in respect of follow-up action based on successes of experimental sea cage farming. Although late, there is an urgent need now for the DAHD and F of the Union Ministry of Agriculture to take up follow-up action on the aspect mentioned above for promoting the setting up of marine cages all along the coastline based on needed study, coupled with the related parameters of the cage operational aspect, these being the most important to restore the depleting sea fish stocks. There can be no doubt that the authorities must have already moved ahead in this respect, considering that this constitutes a needed step to control the ongoing effect of fish stock depletion in the Indian seas, but as already mentioned, the industry has not yet been informed of the initiatives taken in the needed direction..more
 

Fisheries Development
Focus Areas for follow-up

                 

The State fisheries Departments are engaged in an array of fisheries developmental activities. In this context, Fishing Chimes takes the privilege of listing 14 developmental topics to serve the purpose of looking into the present status of promotion of the developmental progress for what they are worth:

a) Improvement of productivity both in capture and culture Fisheries: The present level of Aquaculture productivity in the county is only 2.5 tonnes /ha on an average which could be increased further. There is also great opportunity to enhance the productivity from culture-based capture fisheries resources such as reservoirs and other wetlands.

• Resource-based approach,/classification of resources into (1) Capture fisheries based reservoirs, major tanks, (2) small tanks and ponds ideal for semi-intensive aquaculture (3) seasonal and short seasonal tanks – adoption of suitable fish species for
culture in them and which can be harvested within a duration of 4 to 5 months. Development of breeding technology for such fishes, selection of fish species depending on the consumer preference such as Labeo bata in West Bengal, Jharkhand and nearby areas and (4) fish farmer-owned fish farming ponds where intensive or semi-intensive fish farming is possible.

• Fixing productivity targets for each category of water resource, based on the management system that can be adopted, developing appropriate management strategies for each type of resource, based on the local conditions and existing leasing and management practices. If required, region-wise management strategies have to be developed and practised.

b) Diversification of Aquaculture: Its vertical and horizontal expansion: Presently only about 14% of the available area is utilised for brackishwater farming, it is learnt. India has not as yet started any mariculture activities. Aquaculture could be expanded to new areas such as waterlogged areas, saline and alkaline soils and soils unsuitable for agriculture. It can also be diversified with introduction of new species and new technologies for promoting intensive aquaculture systems for enhancement of production.
Diversification of aquaculture into new systems is another option.

c) Augmentation of supply of fish seed of quality in adequate quantity: The present availability of fish seed is about 32,000 million fry /annum, while the requirement is to the tune of 48 billion fry. The quality of seed supplied is also partly up to the mark. Thus, the gap between demand and supply of seed is very huge and the gap has to be bridged by way of promoting adequate supply of quality seed. more