Empowering the marine fisheries sector
with related research and development
technologies CMFRI’s initiatives and plans
Gopalakrishnan A. and Grinson George
Focal P o in ts a t a Glance: The authors highlight the aspects of marine capture fisheries of India and the initiatives of
CMFRI in utilising them and the production systems using cages as options for clean mariculture. The article also focusses
on Satellite retrieved ocean colour data for pin-pointing fish shoals in the ocean.
Introduction
M a rin e f is h e r y r e s o u r c e s h a v e
su p p lem en ted th e p r o te i n s u p p lie s in
nutrition globally an d ea rn ed the status
of 'cheap p r o te in ' d u r in g the p a s t five
decades. W ith the in c re ase d aw a re n ess
about quality protein available in fish and
other m arine resources there has b een a
steep rise in d e m a n d fo r m a r i n e fish
during the p ast tw o decades. This period
w itnessed a s p u r t in f is h in g e ffo rts
resulting in dw indling marine fish catches
as h ig h e r e x p l o ita tio n r a te s a ffe c te d
sustainability. G lo b ally , th e r e w e re
several in sta n c e s in te m p e r a te w a te r s
where certain species a n d th eir fishery
collapsed. B e tte r d iv e rs ity , h ig h e r
fecundity a n d v a r ie d s p a w n i n g p e a k s
helped th e I n d i a n m a r i n e f is h e r y to
overcome th e c h a lle n g e s d r i v e n by
mechanised c ra fts in p u r s u i t o f h ig h
quantity 'c h e a p p r o te in '. E ven th o u g h
there were peak s a n d falls in the in ter­
annual ab u n d a n c e of fishes th a t w ere
■landed along the coastal w aters of India
and other g lo b a l f is h in g n a t io n s , th e
trends differed in their d ec ad a l g ro w th
averages. The p re se n t rev ie w exam ines
the various aspects of m a rin e fisheries
fesearch and d ev e lo p m e n t in India, the
existing system of conservation research
and p ro p oses a v ia b le a l t e r n a t i v e of
Pfoduction research for a carbon sm a rt
World,
Marine capture fisheries and CiVlFRI
initiatives
coa
shpU
'
resources of 8,118 km long
million sq. km of continental
2.02 million sq. km of exclusive
economic zone, m arine fisheries in India
have been playing a pivotal role in meeting
the d em an d s for fish over the years.The
secto r (b o th fro m c a p tu r e a n d c u ltu re
fish e rie s ) h a s b e e n o n e of th e m a jo r
foreign exchange earners, w ith rev en ue
r e a c h in g Rs. 18,856 c ro res in 2012-13,
accounting for about 18% of the agricultural
export. Producing 5.42% of the world's fish,
India accounts for 2.5% of the global fish
market. The contribution of the fisheries
sector, at an overall annual grow th rate of
4.5% (6%, if a q u a c u l tu r e a lo n e is
considered) during the previous five year
plans, is estimated at around 1.10% to the
GDP and 5.3% to the agricultural GDP.
I n i950, the marine fish harvest in India
was 0.5 million metric tonnes. Gradually,
fishing em erg ed as a m ajor com m ercial
activity d u e to m echanisation of fishing
craft and gear and reached a production
of 1 million tonnes du rin g 1970. Bannerji
an d C h a k ra b o rty (1972) fo rm u late d the
M ultistage Stratified R and o m S am pling
design for estim ation of national marine
fish landings. D ata collection an d their
compilation based on this design started
in 1970 at the C entral M arine Fisheries
Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi laying
the ground works for the national marine
fish e rie s
d a ta b a s e .
T he
d a ta b a s e
p r o v id e s in f o rm a tio n o n s p e c ie s-w ise
m arine fish landings at all major centres
in India, as well as on craft and gear used
in the exploitation of the fishery, quality of
craft a n d gear im p ro v e d w ith technical
sophistication during the period from 197080. W ith the g eo m etric in crease in the
n u m b e r of fishing vessels after 1970, the
m a rin e fish la n d in g s reach ed 2 m illion
tonnes in 1980.
H e a v y i n v e s tm e n t in h a r v e s t a n d
p o st-h a rv e st sectors in In d ia n fisheries
du rin g the 1980s led to further exploitation
of marine resources. Marine fish landings
in In d ia r e a c h e d a re c o rd 3.94 m illio n
m e tric to n n e s in 2012. H o w e v e r, th e re
w ere d o u b ts ab o u t the su stainability of
the m arin e fishery in India, resulting in
initiatives such as develo p m ent of stock
a s s e s s m e n t m o d e ls , p o lic y d ir e c tiv e s
b a s e d on m o d e l resu lts a n d en a c tm e n t
of le g isla tio n . B ut w ith a n in c re a s in g
d e m a n d for se a fo o d (u p to e ig h t la k h
to n n e s v a lu e d at Rs.l2,826crore as p er
2011-12 e s tim a te s ), th e fis h in g e ffo rt
c o n t in u e d to e x p a n d . In c re a se in th e
n u m b e r of craft resulted in a decline in
the catch per u nit effort. More time spent
at se a r e s u l t e d in an in c re a s e in th e
o p e r a t i o n a l co st of fis h in g v es se ls .
Mechanised vessels resorted to multi-day
fishing, leading to increase in u n w an te d
by-catch and discards. There are 1,94,490
f is h in g c r a ft in o p e r a tio n in I n d ia n
exclusive econom ic zone (EEZ) (M arine
fisheries census 2010). The G overnm ent
of I n d ia h a s r e s o lv e d in p r in c i p le to
regulate the fleet size in its EEZ, according
to fishery potential (UNCLOS, 1982, CCRF,
2000). The estim ates of fish p o tential in
the EEZ will set the fleet size required for
s u s t a in a b le h a r v e s tin g . R e s e a r c h e rs
h a v e estim a te d the p o te n tia l of m a rin e
fisheries in India to be in the range from
2.3 to 7.46 m illio n to n n e s (Table 1)
(R ag h u prasad et al. 1970; M oiseev 1971;
G u lla n d 1971; P r a s a d a n d N a ir 1974;
George et al. 1977; Q uazim 1977; N air and
G o p in a t h a n 1981; M a th e w et al. 1989;
D e sa i et al. 1990). A w o r k i n g g r o u p
constituted by the G o v ern m en t of India
revalidated the potential yield of Indian
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)
Kochi - 682 018, Kerala.
eg
FISHING CHIM ES
Vol. 34 No. 1/ April 2014
Table 1: Estimates of fisheries potential in Indian EEZ by various methodologies
SI.No
Author
Estimated
harvestable
M ethodology
adopted
potential
(million t)
1
R agh u p rasad et al. 1970
P rim ary
productivity and
exploitation rate
IP
2
M oiseev 1971
3.59
P rim ary
productivity and
tro p h ic transfer
efficiencies
3
G ulland 1971
6.55
P rim ary
productivity and
trophic transfer
efficiencies
4
P rasad and N air 1974
4.60
P rim ary
productivity and
exploitation rate
5
Nair etal. 1973
2.30
P rim ary
productiyity to
c a rb o n
6
George et a l 1977
4.50
E xploratory survey,
landing and review
7
Q azim 1977
7.36
P rim ary
productivity and
trophic transfer
efficiencies
8
N air and G opinathan 1981
5.50
Prim ary p roduction
to tertiary carbon
c o n v e rsio n
9
M athew et al. 1989
7.46
P e r c e n ta g e
conversion of p rim a ry
p roduction
10
Desai et al. 1990
3.66
P rim ary / seco n d a ry
p roduction to tertiary
c arb o n conv ersio n
11
W orking group, GOI 1990
3.90
M axim um
SustainableY ield
(MSY) from landing;
ex p lo ra to ry su rv ey
12
W orking group, GOI 2000
3.93
MSY; exploratory
survey
13
W orking group, GOI 2012
4.41
MSY and
productivity
estim ates from PP
g e n e ra te d from ocean
colour-RS d ata
^Computed for the entire Indian Ocean. Estimates prior to the concept of EEZ
EEZ at 3.9,3.93 and 4.41 mill tonnes in 1990,
2000 a n d 2012 r e s p e c ti v e ly (W o rk in g
g r o u p 1990; 2000; 2012). T h e v a r io u s
estim ates differ from each other and the
present production of 3.94 million metric
tonnes (CMFRI 2013) implies that there is
still scope for im provem ent.
T h re e a p p r o a c h e s w e re a d o p te d to
e stim a te th e m a rin e fish eries p o te n tia l
of Indian EEZ (Table 1). The approaches
a d o p t e d s ta tis tic a l a n d p r o d u c t i v i t y
m e th o d s , s e p a r a te ly a n d jo in tly . T h e
statistical app ro a ch p ro v id es q uahtative
details on distribution of m arine fishery
resources using fish landing data. Using
o c e a n c o lo u r d a ta , th e p r o d u c t i v i t y
a p p r o a c h is i n d e p e n d e n t of d a t a o n
m arine fish landings. A co m b in atio n of
b o th m e th o d s reco n ciles th e es tim a te s
to give a value w hich is considered to be
a referen c e p o te n tia l for e s tim a tio n of
flee t siz e (W o rk in g g r o u p 2012). The
estimate can be lower or higher than the
actual potential, given the com prom ises
m a d e in the selection a n d ty p e s of the
a p p ro a c h e s .
A lthough it is im portant to have robust
estimates of fishery potential as an aid to
m a n a g e fisheries reso u rce s in th e EEZ,
so far w e h av e been u n ab le to arrive at
figures that are w idely acceptable to the
experts in the field.For d eterm in in g the
resource stability along w ith the on-going
i n t e n s if ie d f is h in g e ffo rts, a m u l t i ­
disciplinary ap p ro a ch for re-assessm ent
o f r e s o u r c e s is in v o g u e . T h e r e are
alarming gaps for a policy planner to look
u p o n . P rim e fo cu s o n f u tu r e fisheries
r e s o u r c e r e s e a r c h w ill b e o r ie n te d
tow ards building u p of a spatio-temporal
d a t a b a s e o n th e GIS p la tf o r m as a
d e c isio n s u p p o r t tool. N u m e r ic a l and
tim e -se rie s m o d e l d a t a a n d d a ta b a s e s
from RS-GIS sources have taken a priority
o v e r r e a l tim e o b s e r v a tio n s . B u t the
ev id en t g ap s in in-situ o bserv ation and
assessm en t of fishery resources h av e to
b e n u ll if i e d t h r o u g h r e g u la r survey,
s a m p lin g a n d analysis. A u to m a tio n of
landing data estimation, geo-referencing
of fish catches, local spaw ning and fishing
g ro u n d delineation, resolving of physical
process su p porting the fishery resources,
th e r e s o u r c e v u l n e r a b i l i t y to clim ate
ch an ge, re so u rc e ec o n o m ic evalu ation
and international trade policies impacting
o u r reso u rce s are a few rese arch areas
to be given due attention in the next few
years. W ith the clim ate ch ange impacts
m aking Indian fisheries sector vulnerable
to forces other than over-exploitation, the
ChloRIFFS (C h lo ro p hy ll b ased remotes e n s in g a s s is te d I n d ia n Fisheries
F o re c a s tin g S y stem ) p r o g r a m m e calls
u p o n a th o ro u g h revalid atio n involving
in t e r d i s c i p l i n a r y e f f o rts in marine
f is h e r ie s r e s e a r c h to p o i n t o u t the
lacunae an d set-right the contradictions
b etw e en p red ic te d an d h a r v e s t e d
re so u rc e s.
Fish an d fish p ro d u c ts reco rd ed the
highest increase in price am on g all food
co m m o d ities-tran sfo rm in g from a poor
m an's food to lu x u rio u s food item. The
gross value of marine fish at the landing
c e n tre a n d re ta il level is e stim a te d at
Rs. 27,577.1 crores an d Rs. 44,054 c r o r e s
respectively (SEETTD, 2013). The private
capital investm en t in fishing equipme^*
h as increased from Rs. 10,352 crores in
2003-04 to Rs. 15,496 crores in 2009-10. The
p e r c a p ita in v e s t m e n t p e r a c t i v e
fisherm an is estim ated at Rs. 3,11,799
the m echanised and Rs.17,205 in the n on ­
mechanised sector. The percentage share
of fishermen in consum er rupee (PSFCR)
ranged from 40% for oil sardines to 80%
for seer fish in private m arketing channel.
Fishing villages having Self Help G roups
(SHGs) o r c o o p e r a tiv e fish m a rk e tin g
resulted in PSFCR w h ich is consistently
a b o v e 70% fo r all v a r ie tie s of fish.
D o m e s tic m a r k e t i n g s y s te m r e q u ir e s
m o r e a t t e n t i o n o n m o d e r n i s a ti o n ,
in c lu d in g q u a lity control. T h ere exists
i n a d e q u a t e c o a s ta l i n f r a s t r u c t u r e for
dom estic fish m arketing, oth er than the
commercial landing centers. This has led
to p o la ris a tio n - of h a r b o u r - b a s e d
infrastructure d ev elopm ent and isolation
of small centers,high level of occupational
risks a n d also in te r a n d in tra sectorial
marginalisation. There is a lack of positive
attitude to w ard s non-fisheries livelihood
options. The following aspects of fishery
socio eco n o m ics h a v e to be co n sid ered
for m a rc h in g ahead:
•
F o r m u l a t i o n of a c o g e n t M a rin e
W ater L easing Policy
•
Identification of suitable m ariculture
sites a n d cen tral sector sch em es for
c o m m u n i t y - o r i e n t e d m a r i c u lt u r e
e n t e r p r i s e s (as O p e n Sea F ish e ry
E states)
•
B io m a s s a u g m e n t a t i o n th r o u g h
Artificial reefs an d M arine parks
•
Prom otion of export-oriented marine
o rn am e n ta l fish cultu re as a cottage
in d u stry an d d ev elop m en t of Special
F is h e r y E n te r p r is e D e v e lo p m e n t
Z ones (SFEDZ)
•
E m p o w e r m e n t of f i s h e r w o m e n
th ro u g h
c a p a c ity
b u il d in g
in te rv e n tio n s
and
tr a i n in g
p ro g ram m es
•
I n c e n tiv e s
e n te r p r is e s
•
In v estm ent for coastal in frastructure
d ev elo p m ent (th rough Public Private
P artn ersh ip m ode)
•
M o d e rn isatio n
m a rk e ts
•
Special b a n k i n g sc h e m e s for sm all
scale fishery- rela te d en terp rises
•
C o m pulsory registration of craft and
optim isation of fleet size
•
Sea
s a fe ty
m a n d a to r y
•
In tro d u c in g n e w in su ran c e schem es
focusing on the fishery sector
•
D e v e lo p m e n t
of
b io - s h ie ld s ,
installation of early w arning systems,
and stren g thenin g PFZ delivery.
•
I n te g r a t e d
C o a s ta l
Zone
D ev e lo p m e n t in c lu d in g Responsible
fo r
value
of
ad d itio n
d o m e s tic
m easures
fish
m ade
Coastal Tourism
Green Fishing - Fishery resources and
energy efficient eco-friendly capture
system s
Satellite retriev ed ocean colour d ata
(chlorophyll) can act as a su rro g a te for
m o st sh o a lin g p h y to p l a n k to n feeders,
especially oil sardine, off the w est coast
of India. Indian Remote Sensing Satellite
P^ Ocean Colour Monitor (IRS P^ OCM) /
M O D IS
d e r iv e d
ch lo ro p h y ll
c o n c e n t r a tio n
and
N a ti o n a l
O ceanograp hic
A erospace
A d m i n i s t r a t i o n A d v a n c e d V ery H ig h
Resolution Radiom eter (NOAA AVHRR)
d eriv e d Sea Surface T em p eratu re (SST)
im ag es h a v e b e e n u se d to ch aracterise
the rela tio n sh ip b e tw e e n the biological
(Chlorophyll) and physical variables (SST)
in coastal w aters and to delineate potential
fishing zones. Integrated potential fishing
zone (PFZ) forecasts validated by CMFRI
in d icated a p ositive Benefit Cost Ratio.
I n c r e a s e d C a tc h P e r U n it E ffo rt at
reduced fossil fuel expenditure (scouting
tim e is less), can be rig h tly te rm e d as
'g re e n fishing'. But sta g g ered forecasts
d u e to c lo u d c o v e r o f te n i n h i b it th e
continuous predictions of PFZ. The ability
of satellite b a s e d a ltim ete rs to p ro v id e
data despite cloud cover and to identify
th e c ir c u la tio n f e a tu r e s r e la te d to
fisheries provides scope for filling the gap
left by the traditional PFZ advisories in
the p resence of cloud cover. Significant
fish catches o ccu rred in areas b e tw e e n
anti-cyclo n ic a n d cyclonic circ u la tio n s
w h e r e d iv e r g e n c e o c c u r e d a n d also
b e tw e e n tw o an ti-cyclonic circ u la tio n s
w h e r e d iv e r g e n c e a n d u p w e l l i n g
occurred.
The sp atio -tem p o ral fluctu ation s of
plankton richness which can be remotely
s e n s e d h e l p s in p r e d i c t i n g f is h e r ie s
r e s o u r c e r ic h n e ss. T ak in g a cu e fro m
e s ta b l is h e d m o d e ls , p a t t e r n s ca n be
designed to p redict resource availability
after v alid atio n of p re d ic tio n scenarios
w ith the e stim a te d catch fro m v ario u s
fishing grounds. The change in the pattern
of fish in g , p e r io d of ab s e n c e a n d th e
composition of fish caught per haul, w hen
a n a ly s e d for a r a n g e of g e o - s p a tia l
e x p a n s e s ,w ill h e lp in r e f in in g a n d
augm en tin g a com prehensive prediction
algorithm . F urther, such m o d els w o u ld
co m e in h a n d y in th e a s s e s s m e n t of
m a r i n e r e s o u r c e p o te n tia ls a n d th e ir
periodic rev alidatio n on a h o m o g e n o u s
p la tf o r m w ith a p r o p e r m e a s u r e of
confidence intervals. Such exercises are
of im m e n s e
i m p o r ta n c e
to
th e
g o v e r n m e n t a n d p o lic y m a k e r s . T he
h i s t o r y o f c o - in t e g r a ti n g p la n k to n
availability a n d resource la n d in g s w ere
in itia te d at CMFRI in the ea rly 1960s.
C o lla b o r a tiv e e ffo rts b e t w e e n m a rin e
fisheries research an d space applications
resu lted in the identification of PFZs in
the 1980s. W ith climate change im pacts
m a k in g th e I n d ia n f is h e r ie s se c to r
v u ln e r a b le to fo rc es o th e r th a n o v e r ­
exploitation, the ChloRIFFS (Chlorophyll
b a s e d r e m o te - s e n s in g a s s is te d I n d ia n
F is h e r ie s
F o re c a s tin g
S y stem )
p r o g r a m m e calls u p o n a s y s te m a tic
revalidation and interdisciplinary efforts
in m arine fisheries research, to point out
the lacunae an d set-right the staggering
c o n tra d ic tio n s b e tw e e n p r e d ic te d an d
h a r v e s te d reso u rces.
C e n tr a l
I n s tit u te
of F is h e r ie s
T e c h n o lo g y (CIFT) h a s co m e u p w ith
g ree n fishing system s for tropical seas.
D esig n a n d co n stru ctio n of the 19.8 m,
e n e r g y e ffic ie n t, n e w
g e n e r a ti o n
combination fishing vessel w ith im proved
h u ll s h a p e , b u l b o u s b o w , o p ti m is e d
propeller design, ducted propeller nozzle
and right sized engine will lead to reduced
fu e l
c o n s u m p tio n .
D e s ig n
and
d e v e lo p m e n t of energy saving selective
fish in g g ea r sy stem s t h r o u g h m a teria l
su bstitution will also lead to substantial
fu e l s a v in g s . E n e r g y s a v in g tr a w li n g
te c h n o lo g ie s s u c h as h ig h s p e e d
d e m e r s a l tr a w ls , tr a w ls fo r d e e p sea
operatio n s an d large m e sh semi-pelagic
trawls are some other innovations in this
direction.
N a ti o n a l F is h e r ie s D a ta C e n tr e of
CMFRI provides m uch of the supportive
d a t a fo r r e s e a r c h a n d m a n a g e m e n t in
m a r i n e c a p tu r e fish e rie s. P r e s e n t
e s tim a te s h a v e o n ly la n d i n g c e n tr e
d e ta ils. P r o p e r g e o - re fe re n c in g of th e
d a ta is r e q u ir e d fo r e s ta b lis h in g th e ir
scientific relevance. The p rim e focus in
future fisheries resource research will be
o r i e n t e d to w a r d s b u i l d i n g a s p a tio te m p o ral d atab a se on the CIS platfo rm
as a decision support tool. Numerical and
time-series m odels h av e taken a priority
o v e r r e a l tim e o b s e r v a tio n s s u c h as
s u r r o g a t e d a t a b a s e s fro m RS-GIS
s o u r c e s a n d h a v e r e v o lu t io n is e d o u r
re s e a r c h . B u t th e e v i d e n t g a p s in
o b s e rv a tio n a n d a s se ssm e n t of fish ery
reso u rce s h a v e to be n u llified th r o u g h
re g u la r survey, s a m p lin g a n d analysis.
A u to m a tio n of la n d in g d ata estim ation,
g e o - r e f e r e n c in g of fish ca tc h e s, local
spaw ning and fishing g round delineation,
resolving physical processes su p p o rtin g
th e f is h e r y r e s o u r c e s fo r b e t te r
u n d ersta n d in g
of
th e
resource
vulnerability to climate change, r e s o u r c e ^
e c o no m ic e v a lu a tio n a n d in te rn a tio n a l
tr a d e po licies im p a c tin g o u r reso u rce s
a re r e s e a r c h a r e a s to b e g iv e n d u e
attention in the next few decades in order
to a u g m e n t th e fisheries reso u rce s an d
sustain their exploitation.
Sea food export from the country is a
m a jo r FOREX e a r n e r . B u t w ith th e
im position of qu ota regulation m easures
on
account
of p r o p e r
fis h e r ie s
m a n a g e m e n t , th e r e is a n e c e s s ity to
rightly geo-reference fish lan d ed w ithout
any duplicity in their entire supply-chain.
S u b s id y s u p p o r t s to e x p o r ts in v ite
countervailing duties. It is im perative to
divert the subsidies p ro v ided in su p p o rt
of se a f o o d e x p o r te r s to s e c to r b a s e d
in f r a s t r u c t u r e d e v e l o p m e n t so th a t
c a p ita l in te n s iv e w o r k s w ill a u g m e n t
ex p o r t e a rn in g s. If w e n e e d to rig h tly
utilise the money, a geo-referenced data
b a s e o n e x is tin g i n f r a s t r u c t u r e is
required. F urther, d a ta on the q u a n tu m
of earning p er landing centre is essential
while diverting the funds. GIS databases
on such in form ation are essential in the
co n text of q u o ta re g u la tio n s, su b sid ies
a n d issues on cou n terv ailin g d u ties for
sector b ased funding.
Climate resilience in fisheriesVulnerabillty assessment vis-a-vis
Adaptation strategies
Clim ate change is one of the biggest
g lob al c h a lle n g e s facin g m a n k in d an d
governm ents are looking for practical and
tim e-bound strategies an d plans for their
mitigation and adaptation. U nderstanding
th e i m p a c t s of c lim a te c h a n g e a n d
natu ral h az ard s is critical for developing
a d e q u a t e risk m a n a g e m e n t strateg ie s.
C o a s ta l v u l n e r a b i l i t y d e s c r ib e s th e
susceptibility of the n a tu ra l system and
of coastal societies (persons, g ro u p s or
co m m u n ities) to w a r d s coastal h az ard s.
It is a condition resulting from a system's
so cial,
e c o n o m ic
and
e c o lo g ic a l
properties and is a function of its natural
and social coping an d adaptive capacity
to adverse impacts, nam ely its resilience.
A s s e s s in g c o a s ta l v u l n e r a b i l i t y is an
i m p o r t a n t p r e r e q u i s i t e to d e t e r m in e
areas of h ig h risk, w h y th ey are at risk
an d w h a t to d o to red u c e the risk. The
c lim a te
change
e ffec ts
have
m u ltid im e n sio n a l
im p a c t s
on
e n v iro n m e n t, fishery, social, eco n om ic
and developm ent drivers. The perception
of the p r i m a r y s t a k e h o l d e r s - f is h in g
c o m m u n it ie s , p la y s a m a jo r ro le in
p r o a c tiv e p a r t i c i p a t i o n in d is a s te r
m an ag em en t, ad a p ta tio n an d m itigation
plans. The developm ent of the conceptual
fram ew ork progressed w ith identification
of the coastal districts and villages based
on th e d ifferent e n v iro n m en ta l, fishery
a n d socio econom ic p aram eters.
CM FRI i m p le m e n te d th e PARS
m e th o d o lo g y - P a r a m e te r , A ttr ib u te ,
R e s ilie n t I n d ic a to r a n d S core, a
c o n c e p tu a l f r a m e w o r k d e v e lo p e d fo r
a s s e s s in g
th e
c lim a te
change
v u ln e ra b ility of c o a sta l liv e lih o o d s to
prioritise and rank the different im pacts
as perceived by the fishers. The fishers'
p e r c e p ti o n o n c lim a te c h a n g e e ffe c ts
r e v e a le d t h a t f is h e r y w a s th e m o s t
im p a c t e d p a r a m e t e r f o llo w e d b y
ec o n o m ic a n d e n v iro n m e n ta l im p acts.
S ocial im p a c t is th e le a s t im p a c t e d
p a r a m e te r as p erc eiv e d by the fishers.
The s tu d y in d icates th a t the long term
effec ts of c lim a te c h a n g e a re n o t
r e a lis e d /p e r c e iv e d a m o n g th e f is h e r
h o u s e h o ld s . F ish e rs p e rc e iv e th a t th e
fishery an d economic p ara m eters are of
im p o r ta n c e in th e c lim a te c h a n g e
adaptation and mitigation plan.The level
of aw areness is m inim al w hich indicates
th a t th e f is h e r s c o u ld n o t c o r r e la te
e n v ir o n m e n ta l ch a n g e s c o n s e q u e n t to
clim ate ch ange to th eir livelihood. The
fishers are pro n e to loss in fishing days
du e to erratic m onsoon. The w o rk done
by CMFRI suggests the im m ediate need
to im p r o v e o n th e a w a r e n e s s of th e
p rim a ry s ta k e h o ld e rs' k n o w le d g e w ith
resp ect to clim ate change by in v o lv in g
th e m in th e d is a s te r p r e p a r e d n e s s ,
m anagem ent and mitigation planning and
im p lem en ta tio n process. R esearchers at
CM FRI a re w o r k i n g o n c h l o r o p h y l l
d y n a m ic s a n d fish p r o d u c t i v i t y in a
c lim a te c h a n g e r e g im e , s im u la t io n
m o d e ls for fo re ca stin g clim ate ch a n g e
effects, s p e c ie s v u l n e r a b i l i t y d u e to
clim ate change, d a ta b a se d e v e lo p m e n t
an d ocean acidification/ climate change
issues on m arin e resources.
Conserving the blue carbon
ecosystem s
G reen technologies an d blue carbon
have been the b uzz w ords during the last
tw o d e c a d e s fo r m a n y o r g a n is a tio n s
w orking on m arine sciences and related
as p e c ts . Blue c a r b o n is th e c a r b o n
c a p t u r e d b y th e w o r l d 's o c e a n s a n d
coastal ecosystems. The carbon captured
by living organisms in oceans is stored in
the form of biomass and sediments from
m a n g r o v e s , s a lt m a r s h e s a n d seag ra sse s. A f r o n t r u n n e r in m a r i n e
fisheries research in India w ith set global
sta n d ard s, CMFRI h as in vested heavily
in its research on g ree n er technologies
fo r m a r i n e f is h e r ie s s e c to r a n d
contributed to im pro v in g /su stainin g the
blue carbon resources. W ith a prom inent
role in carbon sequestration and storage,
th e v a r io u s a c tiv itie s r e la te d to o u r
m arin e
e c o s y s te m
o f te n
a re
of
co m p arab le/h ig h er efficiency th a n their
terrestrial counter parts. Since the 1950s,
CMFRI has h ad a vision steered by global
and national leaders in rightly sustaining
th e p r o d u c t i o n r e la te d p r o c e s s in
im p r o v in g th e fish ca tc h (m a r in e fish
c a p tu r e as w e ll as m a r i c u lt u r e ) a n d
co n serv in g the b lu e carbon ecosystem s
like tidal marshes, mangroves, coral reefs
an d sea-grasses along the coastal waters
of th e n o r t h e r n I n d ia n O ce an . T h ese
r e s e a r c h f in d in g s h a v e b e e n u tilis e d
g lo b ally for m a n a g in g tro p ic al coastal
m a rin e reso u rces.
S u s ta i n i n g / r e b u i l d i n g th e m a rin e
e c o sy stem s; tid al m u d fla ts , w et-la n d s,
m angroves, m arshes, estuaries, beaches,
la g o o n s a n d c o ra l reefs; h a v e also
become a prim e responsibility in marine
fish eries m a n a g e m e n t. A lo n g w ith the
fish in g p r e s s u r e th e re is a co n cern for
habitat degradation also. CMFRI, for the
la s t six d e c a d e s , h a s c o n t r i b u te d
im m ensely to b iod iv ersity conservation
an d continues to do so. A major activity
by CMFRI in this direction is w ith respect
to artificial reefs.
Artificial reefs will reduce unw anted
fishing as traw l operations in such areas
will result in severe gear damage. Under
In d ian conditions,the best m easure is to
d ep lo y the artificial reefs along inshore
areas at 20 m d e p th contours. Artificial
reefs are tria n g u lar concrete structures/
m o d u les dep lo y ed to the b o tto m of the
sea bed. They provide shelter to brooder
fish and juveniles. They also offer surface
a r e a s fo r a t t a c h m e n t of e g g s after
s p a w n i n g . T h u s, w e c a n p r o te c t the
n ursery g rounds of fishes by installation
of artificial reefs an d thereby enhancing
th e r e c r u i t m e n t of co m m erc ially
i m p o r ta n t species. D e p lo y e d artificial
re e f a r e a s b e c o m e u n f it for traw lin g
o p e r a tio n s r e n d e r i n g th e a re a as a
n atu ra l "M arine Protected A rea" (MPA)
th u s protectin g the biodiversity, habitat
and brood-stocks. Healthy brood stock of
fishes will be a sp a w n in g stock biomass
for su p p ly in g y o u n g fish to the fishing
areas
on
a s u s t a in a b le
m anner
(recruitm ent).It is em p h asised here that
th e m a jo r a im of m a r i n e fisheries
m a n a g e m e n t is m a in ly to s u s ta in the
fisheries w ith lim ited scope to increase
production by at least 1% cumulatively in
the next 35 years (by 2050).
CMFRI, in a s so c ia tio n th e G ovt of
Tamil N a d u , h as dep lo y ed the a r t i f i c i ^ ^
reefs in coastal w a te rs n e a r 50 villages
r e s u l t i n g in th e e n h a n c e m e n t of
traditional fisheries by 2 to 5 times over
the last ten years. Consequently, there is
an in c r e a s e in d e m a n d f ro m th e
t r a d i t i o n a l f is h e r f o lk to in s t a ll m o r e
a r tific ia l re e fs in T am il N a d u . T h is
example can be taken as a national model
for cre atin g m o re of a w a re n e ss am o n g
th e f is h e r f o lk in o th e r S ta te s a n d for
c o n d u c tin g
aw areness
tr a i n in g
p ro g ra m m e s . Each m o d u le clu ster cost
Rs. 30 lakhs an d is sufficient for 1 km. If
the e n tire co a sta l line is p r o v id e d the
sam e im p e tu s ov er a p e r io d of at least
next 10 years, costing Rs. 10,000 crores,
the m arine fish catch is likely to reach at
least 6 million tonnes by 2050.
Production systems using cage as
options for clean mariculture
CMFRI has u n d ertak en the large scale
d e m o n s tr a ti o n of o p e n sea as w ell as
b a c k w a te r cage c u ltu r e in m o st of the
m aritim e States of India. The technology
is p u r e l y i n d i g e n o u s a n d h ig h ly
ec o n o m ic al a n d su sta in a b le . It is v ery
easy to adopt. Capital investm ent for a 6
m d ia m e te r c irc u la r cage in th e sea is
about Rs. 3 lakhs initially, including the
cost of cage fram e, nets, m oo rin g , seed
a n d feed. By a d o p t in g c u ltu re of h ig h
v a lu e sp e c ie s, th e p r o d u c t i o n of 3-5
to n n e s / ca g e c a n b e a t t a i n e d w ith an
economic re tu rn of Rs.6 to 10 lakhs per
h a r v e s t, s p r e a d o v e r a p e r i o d of 6-8
m o n th s d e p e n d in g o n th e species. The
life of a cage frame is above 5 years. The
M oA /N FD B h a v e re c o g n is e d th is as a
g o v e r n m e n t s c h e m e e lig ib le fo r 40%
subsidy and the technology is gaining lot
of p o p u la rity am o n g coastal fisherfolks.
S eed in p u t s a re a b u i id a n t ly a v a ila b le
along the coast and fisher folks are skilled
in c o lle c tin g th e m . T h e fe a s ib ility of
se v eral species e m e r g in g as c a n d id a te
species for cage culture is due to the on­
g o in g b r e e d in g p r o g ra m m e s a n d th e ir
possible collection from the sea m a y be
d isc on tin ued in the long run. Similarly,
th e r e a re a b o u t 5 la rg e fe e d m ills in
A n d h ra P ra d e s h w ith h ig h p r o d u c tio n
potential for m anufacturing suitable feed
for m arine fish.
CMFRI's g row -out experim ental feed
for Pom pano, based on feed formulation
p ro d u c e d com m en d ab le results. Results
of th is s t u d y i n d i c a t e d th e h ig h e s t
observed omega-3 fatty acid composition
(16.98%) in the fish m eat fed by this feed.
Hence, the feed is n o t only available on
d e m a n d b u t also is efficient in the fish
m eat quality it produces. Simifarly there
are millions of hectares of low lying saline
areas w h ich are n o t utilised a n d can be
b ro u g ht u n d e r m ariculture w ith suitable
incentives from the governm ent/N F D B .
CM FR I h a s e s ta b l is h e d th e firs t
Recirculation A quaculture System (RAS)
laboratory in India and marine fish brood
b a n k in th e se RAS acts as a m o d e l for
es ta b lish in g so m e m o re RAS in p u b lic
s e c to r to m a i n t a i n th e q u a l ity a n d
quantity for sustainable seed production.
The goal is production of fertilised eggs/
first d a y larvae an d their s u p p ly to the
h a t c h e r i e s a t a n o m i n a l cost, so th a t
private hatcheries can raise them further
and deliver them to the needy farmers at
a p ric e . M a rin e fish b r o o d sto c k
m a in te n a n c e is co m p lic ate d a n d risky.
H ence, p riv a te e n tr e p r e n e u r s m a y n o t
b e e n t h u s i a s t i c in m a r i n e fish se e d
production. Further, a regulation of fish
seed production u n d er public sector also
e n s u re s q u a lity se ed p ro d u c tio n .T h e re
are initiatives in basic research in marine
b io te c h n o lo g y for im p r o v e d fe e d s for
fishes in clud in g o rn am e n ta l fishes, b io ­
p ro sp e c tin g , d ise ase s su rv e illa n c e a n d
stock identification also.
Conclusion
S u s ta in a b le f is h e r ie s m a n a g e m e n t
options, if im plem ented properly, indicate
p o s s ib le e n h a n c e m e n t of h a r v e s ta b l e
p o te n tia l in I n d ia n EEZ to a p o ss ib le
e x t e n t of 6 m illio n to n n e s o r m o re.
O p p o rtu n itie s in o p en sea cage cu ltu re
an d related developm ents in the field of
m ariculture du rin g the last 5 years show
a w a y fo rw ard in o p en sea m aricultu re
practices and propose a production ideal
to th e tu n e of 4 m illio n to n n e s in the
co m in g y e a rs fro m m a r ic u ltu r e se cto r
alone. H ig h m a ric u ltu re p r o d u c tio n in
countries like China is d u e to production
of sea w eeds and molluscs,but, the Indian
sea food m arket comprises mainly of fin
fish es of e d ib le s ta n d a r d s . If p ro p e rly
im plem ented, there are possibilities that
th e m a r i n e fish p r o d u c t i o n m a y be
enhanced to the tune of 10 million tonnes
(6 m illio n to n n e s fro m c a p tu r e a n d 4
million tonnes from mariculture) by 2050.
T he p r e s e n t rev ie w reiterate s the n ee d
to revalidate the on-going m a n a g e m e n t
m easures
s c ie n tific a lly
and
pragmatically to enhance the marine fish
prod u ction in a sustainable manner. ©