Management and conservation of marine fishery resources

The marine fisheries resources of India including the EE Zone of about 2 million sq. km are of considerable magnitude. It is estimated that the Economic Zone may support about 4.5 million tonnes. They consist of demersal fishes, shoaling pelagic fishes, large pelagic fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods, sedentary molluscs, seaweeds, etc. At present, the landings are confined mostly to inshore belt up to 50 metres in depth. Prawn resources are Intensively fished. Pelagic fisheries like mackerel and sardine are highly fluctuating In this t)elt, due possibly to the limitations In operations and to migrating and breeding Influences. Bombay ducks are intensively fished. There is no fishing effort to cephalopods, tuna and tuna-like fishes worth mentioning, though their potential is ric