Marine Fish Production in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry. A Report based on a detailed analysis of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute Data

Abstract

Continuous growth in TN marine fisheries is observed in the form of introduction of new fishing vessels, fishing methods, new fishing gears and development of different infrastructure since 1950 leading to a five-fold increase in catch and three-fold increase in active fishers. There is a continuous expansion of fishing operation to deeper and distant waters. There has been a continuous discovery of new fishing grounds, new fishery resources and new fishing methods. The entire shelf area off Tamil Nadu (TN) coast is covered by TN fishing fleet and there is no scope for additional catch from the shelf area. The landings grew continuously till 1997, witnessed a sharp fall during 1998-2004 and then a sharp increase in the following years 2006-09 hitting the new peak of 5.39 lakh tonnes well beyond the potential yield estimate of 4.25 lakh tonnes by CMFRI. A section of the TN fishing fleet depend heavily on fishing in neighbouring waters and nearly 20% of the catch comes from South Andhra and Sri Lankan waters. Deep sea fishing is already in vogue in TN as Kanyakumari’s Thoothoor fishers with a fleet of approximately 500 long-liners cum gillnetters reigning all over the west coast and landing their catch at Kochi. Chennai gillnetters and a tiny fleet of long-liners in Puducherry have already started fishing beyond the shelf on the east coast