Maharashtra sees 47 per cent surge in marine fish production amid national decline: Report

Amid a decline in marine fish production across the country, Maharashtra has bucked the trend by registering a 47 per cent increase in 2024, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) said.

The rise is being credited to a series of policy measures and enforcement actions taken by the state Fisheries and Port Development Department.

Citing the CMFRI report on Tuesday, the office of Maharashtra Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane stated that strict action was initiated against illegal fishing activities along the coastline since December 2024, when Rane assumed charge.

One of the key steps included the deployment of drone surveillance systems at strategic coastal locations to monitor unauthorised fishing. These drones helped curb illegal fishing by operators from other states and the use of banned LED light fishing methods, according to a release issued by Rane's office.

''These interventions began to show results within five months, reflected in the sharp rise in marine catch figures,'' the statement said.

It stated that while India's overall marine fish production fell by nearly 2 per cent from 35.3 lakh tonnes in 2023 to 34.7 lakh tonnes in 2024, Maharashtra registered the highest increase at 47 per cent..

States along the western coast, like Karnataka, Goa, UT of Daman and Diu, recorded a dip in production, while Maharashtra stood out. On the eastern coast, states like West Bengal (35%), Tamil Nadu (20%) and Odisha (18%) also reported growth.

Among the fish species, mackerel accounted for the largest catch in Maharashtra in 2024, with its production rising to 2.93 lakh tonnes, followed by sardines at 2.41 lakh tonnes. Other species, such as anchovies (pedve) and silver bellies (mandyali), also saw a production boost.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)