Fishing in India

[1] The fishing sector in India supports the livelihood of over 28 million people in the country, especially within the marginalized and vulnerable communities.Significant advances in productivity were made in the early nineteenth century with the controlled breeding of carp in tanks where river conditions are simulated.Brackishwater farming was done on an old system where man-made impediments in coastal wetlands and salt resistant deep water paddy fields.In addition to this marine zone, India has about 14,000 km2 of brackish water available for aquaculture, about 16,000 km2 of freshwater lakes, ponds, and swamps; and nearly 64,000 kilometers of rivers and streams.[11] Indian inland waters (rivers, reservoirs, wetlands, lakes and ponds) contribute 62–65% of the total fisheries production.Fisheries Institute of Technology and Training (FITT) was established in Chennai in collaboration Tata Group to improve the socioeconomic condition of fishermen.[25] In 2020 the Pakistan Marines fired on two Indian boats near the international maritime boundary line (IMBL) in an incident in which one fisherman was injured.[26] There has been an increase in the number of Chinese deap-sea fishing trawlers in the Southern Indian Ocean which has caused concerns in India.Between 2015 and 2019, around 500 Chinese trawlers were sighted in the region[27] Climate change along with habitat destruction and other anthropogenic environmental damages have reduced fish stocks within India's exclusive economic zone, leading some fishers to take riskier trips into international waters.[28] Carp farming in the country started between 1970 and 1980 due to the demonstrated high production levels of 8 to 10 tonnes/hectare/year in an incubation center.The culture systems adopted in the country vary greatly depending on the input available in any particular region as well as on the investment capabilities of the farmer.While extensive aquaculture is carried out in comparatively large water bodies with stocking of the fish seed as the only input beyond utilising natural productivity, elements of fertilisation and feeding have been introduced into semi-intensive culture.Shrimp exports from India are expected to nearly double to US$7 billion by 2022, driven by strong demand, high quality, improved product mix, and an increase in aquaculture area in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal.CBF is generally practiced in inland waters having areas between 100 and 1000 ha (lakes, wetlands and small reservoirs) and cautiously in 1000–5000 ha (medium-sized reservoirs)[12] The FAO of the United Nations estimates that about 1.2 million hectares of potential brackishwater area available in India is suitable for farming, in addition to this, around 8.5 million hectares of salt affected areas are also available, of which about 2.6 million hectares could be exclusively utilised for aquaculture due to the unsuitability of these resources for other agriculture based activities.