Sustainable Fisheries
India has a long coastline of about 8000 kms which is inhabited by over 6 million fisherfolk. Two island groups, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands, have been identified as part of Global 200 eco-regions (Marine Eco-regions) by WWF. It is estimated that the continental shelf alone has an area of 0.44 million square kms, with an estimated potential of 4.5 million tonnes of marine produce per year.
For centuries fishing community has exploited this vast ecological niche, home to a variety of marine organisms in the inshore waters, providing coastal and inland villages with an inexpensive source of protein, while maintaining an independent and self-sufficient life style.
India has declared a 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) wholly in the Indian Ocean, with sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting the living and non-living resources of the sea. The largest mangroves in Sunderbans, Bay of Bengal, unique in its bio-diversity, act as a salt tolerant system and has been designated the status of a World Heritage Site by WWF in the Indo Malayan - Indo Pacific region.
Besides a large number of fish, India is home to 5 out of 7 species of marine turtles in the world and has a major mass-nesting site for Olive Ridley Turtle on the Orissa coast. All the five species of sea turtles along with marine mammals are severely threatened and endangered.
For centuries fishing community has exploited this vast ecological niche, home to a variety of marine organisms in the inshore waters, providing coastal and inland villages with an inexpensive source of protein, while maintaining an independent and self-sufficient life style.
India has declared a 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) wholly in the Indian Ocean, with sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting the living and non-living resources of the sea. The largest mangroves in Sunderbans, Bay of Bengal, unique in its bio-diversity, act as a salt tolerant system and has been designated the status of a World Heritage Site by WWF in the Indo Malayan - Indo Pacific region.
Besides a large number of fish, India is home to 5 out of 7 species of marine turtles in the world and has a major mass-nesting site for Olive Ridley Turtle on the Orissa coast. All the five species of sea turtles along with marine mammals are severely threatened and endangered.
Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas. Indo-Pacific Ocean.