Overfishing in India: Crisis, Collapse, and Reform Paths

Overfishing in India: Crisis, Collapse, and Reform Paths

Syllabus:

GS-2: Government Policies & Interventions

GS-3: Direct & Indirect Farm Subsidies

Focus:

India’s marine fisheries sector faces severe stress due to overfishing, bycatch, and regulatory loopholes, threatening biodiversity and small-scale fishers’ livelihoods. With the International Day for Biological Diversity as a backdrop, there is growing urgency to implement science-based quotas, gear regulations, and community-based conservation to preserve seafood stocks in India and ensure sustainable livelihoods. Understanding the overfishing meaning is crucial to address the challenges faced by Indian fishing communities and the marine ecosystem.

The Overfishing Crisis in Indian Waters:

Stagnant Yields and Unequal Catch Distribution

• India’s marine fisheries production has stabilised at 3–4 million tonnes annually, indicating that maximum sustainable yield has been reached.
• Despite this large output, inequities persist:
  • Small-scale fishers, who make up 90% of the fishing population, catch just 10% of the total.
  • The remaining catch is dominated by mechanised fishing operations and large fishing companies in India.
  • Over 75% of fisher families live below the poverty line, as evident in various poverty images from coastal regions.

Debt and Diminishing Returns

• Increased efforts with larger nets and powerful engines do not proportionately increase fish production.
• These lead to higher debts, fuel consumption, and economic vulnerability for traditional fishers.

Environmental Degradation from Unsustainable Fishing:

Bycatch and Trawling Hazards

• On a shrimp trawler, for 1 kg of shrimp, over 10 kg of bycatch (mostly juveniles and non-target species) is discarded.
• Multi-species trawling indiscriminately impacts numerous marine species.
• Consequences include:
  • Marine biodiversity loss,
  • Reef damage, and
  • Food web disruption.

Juvenile Fishing and Mesh Size Issues

• Use of nets with mesh <25mm allows juvenile fish into the catch, leading to premature harvesting.
• Species like sardine and mackerel, including the national fish of India, suffer long-term population decline, sometimes irreversible.

Global Case Studies: A Warning

• Canada’s Northern cod collapse (1992) under harvest pressure has not fully recovered.
• Pacific sardine collapse in California led to repeated fishery closures for decades.

Regulatory Weaknesses and Governance Challenges:

Fragmented Legal Framework

• Each coastal State/UT has its own Marine Fisheries Regulation Act (MFRA).
• This creates a regulatory patchwork, easily exploited:
  • Juveniles protected in one State may be legally caught in another.
  • Cross-border landing enables ‘laundering’ of illegal catch.

Urgent Need for Harmonisation

• India must move towards a national standard that includes:
  • Science-based catch limits,
  • Uniform minimum legal size (MLS) for species,
  • Gear-mesh size regulations, and
  • Seasonal bans or closed seasons.

Global Best Practices and Indian Success Stories:

New Zealand’s Quota Management System (QMS)

• Introduced in 1986, it aligns science and policy through:
  • Robust stock assessments,
  • Total allowable catch (TAC), and
  • Tradable quotas for fishers.
• Helps rebuild depleted stocks while maintaining economic viability.

India’s Own Positive Example: Kerala

• Threadfin bream MLS enforcement led to 41% rise in catch within one season.
• Letting fish reach maturity results in higher yields and better incomes.

Reform Agenda and the Way Forward:

Curtailing the Fish-Meal and Fish-Oil (FMFO) Industry

• Juvenile bycatch is ground into low-value fishmeal for export or animal feed.
• This deprives Indian consumers of nutritious marine food and fish oil benefits in India.
• Solutions:
  • Cap FMFO quotas,
  • Mandate on-board juvenile release, and
  • Divert bycatch to local aquaculture.

Institutional and Community-Level Action

• National Level:
  • Reform fishing licenses, subsidies, and infrastructure to support ecosystem-based regulatory approach.
  • Implement the National Policy on Marine Fisheries (NPMF) to address challenges in the marine fisheries sector.
• State Level:
  • Strengthen patrols, introduce real-time monitoring, and ensure compliance with fisheries laws and regulations.
• Local Level:
  • Empower Fish Farmers Producer Organisations (FFPOs) and village councils to co-manage marine protected areas (MPAs).
• Consumer Action:
  • Buy only legally sized, sustainably sourced seafood to influence market demand.

Conclusion:

India’s coastal biodiversity and fisher communities face a tipping point. Unchecked overfishing, regulatory gaps, and market pressures threaten long-term sustainability. A unified national policy, rooted in scientific data, community-based conservation, and consumer responsibility, is crucial to protect marine ecosystems and ensure equitable prosperity for future generations.

The National Policy on Marine Fisheries (NPMF) should address these challenges by promoting sustainable aquaculture in India, regulating destructive fishing methods, and supporting mariculture activities. Establishing Nucleus Breeding Centres (NBCs) can help in species diversification and genetic improvement of fish resources.

Furthermore, the policy should consider the zonation of fishing areas within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to manage fishing pressure effectively. Implementing artificial reefs and supporting sea ranching initiatives can help in habitat restoration and stock enhancement.

To combat overfishing and promote sustainable practices, it’s essential to strengthen the implementation of the Blue Revolution scheme and extend Kisan Credit Card (KCC) facilities to fishers. This will provide financial support for adopting sustainable fishing practices and investing in modern equipment.

Lastly, fostering collaboration between the government, fishing companies in India, and the scientific community is crucial for developing effective bycatch management strategies and promoting a thriving, sustainable marine fishery sector in India. This approach, combined with a uniform fishing ban during breeding seasons, can significantly contribute to the recovery of seafood stocks in India and the overall health of the aquaculture industry in India.

Source: TH

Mains Practice Question:Overfishing and unregulated trawling pose a grave threat to India’s marine biodiversity and coastal livelihoods. Discuss the ecological and economic consequences of current fishing practices and suggest policy and institutional reforms to promote sustainable fisheries management in India.