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The total landings of tuna and tuna-like species (hereinafter referred to as tuna fishery) in India for 2018 was estimated at 208 928 tonnes, showing a marginal increase of 3.46 percent over the previous year (201,942 tonnes in 2017). Gillnets contributed 40.45 percent to the total landings of tuna fishery, followed by small purse/ring seines (12.42%) and trawls (10.01%). Pole and line fishing, practiced exclusively in the waters of the Lakshadweep Group of Islands, contributed 6.03 percent to the total tuna landings. Other gears like small longline and gillnet-cum-longline also contributed to tuna landings in small quantities during the year.
Considerable spatial variation was observed in the tuna landings along the mainland coastline. The western coast of India (FAO area 51) contributed the major share to the landings (64%) and the balance 36 percent landings took place on the east coast (FAO area 57). Tuna landings in 2018 were supported by seven species, four representing the neritic (27.76%) and three from the oceanic group (35.65%). Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) contributed the maximum (17.94%), followed by Skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) (17.42%) and Kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis) (15.89%).
There was no reporting of sea bird interactions with the tuna fishery during the reporting period. Similarly, there was no reporting of mortality of sea turtles, marine mammals and whale sharks, which are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 of India. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR-CMFRI), Fishery Survey of India (FSI) of the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India and the Department of Fisheries of the coastal States and Union Territories (UTs) are the main agencies responsible for data collection and collation on tuna fishery.
