User menu
The total landings of tuna and tuna-like species along Indian coasts had been showing a decreasing trend in the recent past. The total landings of tuna and tuna-like species for 2020 is estimated at 1,52,593.16 tonnes, showing a decrease of 23.66 percent over the previous year. Gillnets remained the major gear contributing to the tuna and tuna like fish catch during 2020 also, however, the percentage contribution of this gear to the catch recorded reducing trend in comparison to the previous year (27.92% in 2020 against 37.19% in 2019). Trawl and ring seine (17.82% and 17.57% respectively), followed by small longline (8.50%) where the principle gears contributing the catch. Pole and line fishing, practiced exclusively in the waters of the Lakshadweep Group of Islands, contributed 7.21 percent to the total tuna landings. Other gears like Drift longline, small purse seines, Small purse seines, Handline, Troll lines also contributed to the tuna landings in small quantities during the year.
Considerable spatial variation was observed in the tuna landings during 2020. The western coast of India (FAO area 51) contributed the larger share to the landings (61.11%) and the balance 38.89 percent landings came from the east coast (FAO area 57). Tuna landings in 2020 comprised seven species, four representing the neritic (32.51%) and three from the oceanic group (27%). Kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis, 33.18%) and Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) (22.90%) contributed the maximum tuna catch, followed by Skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis; 21.35%).
There was no reporting of sea bird interactions with the tuna fishery during the reporting period. Similarly, there was no reporting of the 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.
