Current Affairs

Ecological Sustainability Crisis in India Marine Fisheries Sector

Source:The Hindu ↗

हे का महत्त्वाचे आहे

Crucial for understanding India's blue economy, marine resource sustainability, food security, and the livelihood security of coastal communities.

सारांश

The article examines the deteriorating health of India's marine fisheries, highlighting challenges such as overfishing, declining fish stocks, unsustainable practices, and threats to the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable marine governance and ecosystem-based management.

मुख्य मुद्दे

  • India's marine fisheries are facing severe ecological and socio-economic stress due to overfishing, declining catch per unit effort, and climate change impacts.
  • The shift towards intensive commercial fishing and destructive fishing methods threatens long-term marine sustainability and the livelihoods of small-scale traditional fishers.
  • Addressing the crisis requires strengthening regulatory enforcement, reforming subsidies to discourage overcapacity, and adopting ecosystem-based fisheries management.

पूर्वपरीक्षा सापळा

Stagnating marine capture yields uniformly affect all fishing sectors across India's coastline.

Aspirants often assume that blue economy initiatives automatically benefit traditional artisanal fishers, missing how commercial bottom trawling depletes inshore stocks.

संबंधित स्थिर संकल्पना

Environment Conservation & Governance

What are the key ecological challenges and governance frameworks for India's marine fisheries?

  • Jurisdictional Split: Regulated by both Union and State lists; fisheries within territorial waters (12 nautical miles) are a State subject, while the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is under Union jurisdiction.
  • Bottom Trawling: Involves destructive methods like bull trawling and bottom trawling, which scrape the seafloor, destroying benthic habitats and catching juvenile fish.
  • Management Shift: A shift from maximum sustainable yield (MSY) to ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) that accounts for predator-prey dynamics and climate shifts.

आंतर-विषय नमुने

  • Fisheries Subsidies + WTO MC Agreements

    WTO negotiations on curbing harmful fisheries subsidies directly intersect with India's domestic livelihood support for millions of small-scale fishers.

  • Marine Ecology + Climate Change Impact

    Climate-induced warming of the Indian Ocean accelerates oxygen depletion and shifts pelagic species, complicating marine spatial planning.

Expect a statement-based question linking declining CPUE, bottom trawling, and WTO fisheries subsidy negotiations.

संबंधित PYQ · 3

संबंधित PYQ · 3

  • 2025MainsGS3

    Why is maritime security vital to protect India's sea trade? Discuss maritime and coastal security challenges and the way forward.

  • 2023MainsGS3

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one metre by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region?

  • 2026PrelimsGS1

    Which of the following statements with regard to India's Deep Ocean Mission is/are correct? 1. It was launched by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India. 2. Matsya-6000 has been designed to carry 3 people for deep sea exploration. 3. Samudrayaan is a project under this mission. Select the answer using the code given below :