An overview on the present status and future prospects of pelagic finfish resources of India

The results of the studies on stock assessment made on II commercially important pelagic fish groups such as oil sardine. lesser sardines, whitebaits, mackerel, tunas and billfishes, seerflShes, pomfrets, carangids, ribbonfishes, Bombay duck and Hilsa shad based on the data of 1984-88 are presented. Detailed analysis of the production and estimated catchable potential of major pelagic fish groups from the initial stages of mechanization to recent years and in the traditional fishing areas ofboth the coasts oflndia are indicated. The species which have reached the optimal level of exploitation and those which hold potential for further exploitation have been described. The results indicated that the stocks of oil sardine, mackerel, tunas, seerfishes, pomfrets and Bombay duck in the traditional fishing grounds are exploited to or beyond their maximum sustainable yield, whereas lesser sardines, whitebaits and allied species, oceanic tunas frequenting the shelf waters, carangids and ribbonfishes have potential for marginal increase. Options open to obtain increase in production to the level of potenti8I estimates are briefly discussed, and the necessity of better post-harvest utilization of these finfishes pointed out.