Answer

The fisheries sector is a key driver of income and employment, supporting subsidiary industries, providing affordable nutritious food, and serving as a vital livelihood source for economically disadvantaged communities.

Significance of the Fisheries Sector for the Indian Economy

• Employment and Livelihoods: Fisheries is a rapidly growing sector in India, ensuring food security and nutrition while supporting over 28 million livelihoods.
• Economic Contribution: Fisheries contribute 1.24% to India’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and 7.28% to the agricultural GVA, highlighting its importance in the agricultural economy.
• Export Earnings: In the financial year 2023-24, India exported 1.78 million tonnes of seafood worth $7.38 billion, with frozen shrimp being the flagship product.
• Food and Nutritional Security: Fish is a vital source of protein and essential nutrients, playing a crucial role in combating malnutrition and ensuring food security, especially in coastal and riverine regions.
  

Reasons Behind the Paradox: High Aggregate Output but Deepening Poverty and Biodiversity Loss

• Inequitable Distribution of Benefits: Small-scale fishers constitute 90% of the fishing population but account for only about 10% of the total catch, while mechanized operations dominate the sector.
• Poverty Among Fishing Communities: Approximately 61% of marine fisher families live below the national poverty line, indicating that increased production has not translated into improved livelihoods for the majority.
• Overfishing and Bycatch: The use of destructive fishing practices, such as shrimp trawling, results in significant bycatch.
  Example:  Shrimp trawling produces massive bycatch ratios (10:1), most of which are juvenile or non-target species.
• Juvenile Fishing and Habitat Degradation: The capture of juvenile fish due to small mesh sizes (<25mm) depletes spawning stock biomass, causing long-term declines in commercially important species like sardines and mackerel. Example: Kerala’s enforcement of minimum legal size (MLS) for threadfin bream improved catch volume by 41% in one season, proving the damage and potential recovery.
• Fragmented Regulatory Framework: Each coastal state has its own Marine Fisheries Regulation Act (MFRA), leading to a patchwork of rules that can be circumvented by landing catches across state borders, undermining conservation efforts.
  

Evaluation of the Need for a Unified National Fisheries Governance Framework

• Harmonization of Regulations: A unified framework would standardize regulations across states, including minimum legal sizes, gear restrictions, and closed seasons, ensuring consistent conservation measures nationwide.
• Science-Based Management: Implementing a quota management system, similar to New Zealand’s model introduced in 1986, would align fishing allowances with stock assessments, promoting sustainable harvesting practices.
• Strengthened Enforcement: A national framework would facilitate better monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) mechanisms, reducing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities.
• Community Participation: Empowering fisher cooperatives and local communities as co-managers of marine resources would enhance compliance and stewardship.
  Example: Encourage citizen and consumer participation in promoting sustainable seafood choices.
• Alignment with International Commitments: A cohesive national policy would help India meet its obligations under international agreements like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  

The Indian marine fisheries sector’s paradox of high output amid poverty and biodiversity loss demands a unified governance framework emphasizing sustainability, equity, and community participation. Occasions like the International Day for Biological Diversity highlight this issue and encourage us to pledge to protect marine life for today’s needs and the prosperity of future generations.

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