Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: Hindu Business Line
Context: ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has proposed key policy suggestions, including the introduction of the Marine Fishery Act, to enhance India’s marine fisheries sector.
Recommendations of CMFRI:
- Introduce the Marine Fishery Act: It aims to regulate fishing in areas beyond territorial waters, addressing a policy and legislative vacuum.
- Institutionalize regular stock assessments, establishing a national guideline for eco-labelling of marine fishery resources
- Streamline open sea mariculture with a focus on sustainability
- Implement AI-mediated automated mechanisms for landing estimation, and tracking fishing vessels.
- Focused research on deep-sea and non-conventional fishery resources
- Establish an institutional mechanism for overseeing deep-sea fishing
- Strengthening insurance for fishers
India’s Status in Marine Fisheries:
India, the third-largest fish-producing country and second in aquaculture lacks comprehensive legislation for managing marine fisheries beyond 12 nautical miles. To address this, the government has proposed the Indian Marine Fisheries Bill for sustainable development in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Initiatives include the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) 2020, the National Policy on Marine Fisheries (NPMF) 2017, and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) 2015.
About ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI):
It was established in 1947 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in India. In 1967, it joined the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) family and became a leading tropical marine fisheries research institute globally. Headquartered in Kochi, Kerala.
