Lok Sabha Question No. 2423 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-10
Subject: Sustainable Fishing Practices
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri E T Mohammed Basheer

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2423 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## Sustainable Fishing Practices

## 2423. Shri E T Mohammed Basheer:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  measures  implemented  to  ensure  sustainable  fishing  practices  during  peak seasons; and
- (b) the details of framework in place to monitor and regulate overfishing and if so, how effective has it been?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

(a):  The  Ministry  of  Fisheries,  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying  notified  the  'National  Policy  on Marine Fisheries, 2017' to guide the responsible and sustainable fishing. Besides, Government of India  promotes  sustainable  fishing  and  has  issued  advisories  from  time  to  time  to  coastal States/UTs for preventing juvenile fishing and ban on destructive fishing practices for ensuring sustainability. Paired bottom trawling or bull trawling and use of LED lights in fishing are banned in the Exclusive Economic Zone of India beyond the territorial waters. The uniform ban on fishing in the Indian EEZ, beyond the territorial waters is also implemented for a period of 61 days, from 15th April to 14th June on the East Coast and from 1st June to 31st July on the West Coast, to ensure sustainability of the fishery. Moreover, the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry  and  Dairying  is  implementing  a  flagship  scheme  namely  'Pradhan  Mantri  Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)' with highest ever estimated investment of Rs. 20050 crore in fisheries sector for a period of 5 years with effect from the financial year 2020-21. Under the PMMSY the activities such as sea ranching, mariculture, installation of artificial reefs and seaweed cultivation etc  are  promoted for enhancing the fishery of the coastal  area and  as additional livelihood for fishers and coastal communities leading to reduction in fishing pressure and for enhancing marine production.

(b): The regulation and management fisheries upto 12 nautical miles in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) falls under the domain of the State Government and they have already enacted their Marine  Fishing  Regulation  Acts  (MFRAs)/Marine  Fishing  Regulations  to  monitor  and  regulate fishing activities within 12 nautical miles of territorial waters. The coastal States/UTs through these MFRAs have earmarked the zones/sea areas reserved for fishing only by the traditional fishermen using  non-motorized  and  motorized  fishing  boats,  wherein  mechanized  fishing  vessels  are  not allowed  to  fish.  The  ICAR-Central  Marine  Fisheries  Research  Institute  (CMFRI)  had  published Marine  Fish Stock Status of India  2022  (CMFRI  Booklet  Series  No.  32/2023) wherein comprehensive marine fish stock assessment for the country had been reported. As per the report, the marine fish stocks of the Indian waters are healthy and sustainable and 91.1% of the 135 fish stocks evaluated in different regions were deemed to be at healthy levels.

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