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Dr. Leela Edwin

Principal Scientist
 Introduction
Oceans make up 70 percent of our planet, are a source of health and wealth
for millions of people around the world.

They serve as waterways for trade and contain rich, valuable and diverse
ecosystems. Oceans and coastal areas provide a vital source of nutritious
food, employment, recreation, commerce and socio-economic benefits as
well as other crucial goods and services.

All in all, over one in ten people depend on fisheries for their livelihoods and
well-being. Travel and tourism, ports and associated infrastructures, mining
activities and energy production also use oceans and seas to create jobs and
other opportunities.

Yet, numerous threats are compromising the ability of the oceans to continue
providing vital ecosystem services and essential food resources. Despite
noteworthy progress, there is a clear need to address the remaining
impediments.
 Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction
The marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) are those areas
of ocean for which no one nation has the specific or sole responsibility
for management

They are the common oceans that make up 40 percent of the surface of
our planet, comprising 64 percent of the surface of the oceans and nearly
95 percent of their volume.

The ABNJ comprise the high seas and the seabed beyond the (extended)
continental shelf of coastal States and include complex ecosystems at
vast distances from coasts, making sustainable management of fisheries
resources and biodiversity conservation in those areas difficult and
challenging.

These ecosystems are subject to impacts from a variety of sectors

including shipping, pollution, deep-sea mining and fishing
Addressing such impacts can be compounded by problems in
coordinating, disseminating and building capacity for best practices and in
capitalizing on successful experiences especially those related to the
management of fisheries in ABNJ.

Without urgent action, marine biodiversity and socioeconomic well-being

will decline and the value and benefits of these resources for current and
future fisheries resources dependant generations will diminish.(Ocean
commons).
Legal and Institutional Framework for ABNJ

The international framework for ABNJ is composed of a web of global and

regional instruments that oblige States to protect the marine environment,
and conserve and sustainably use living resources.
The global ABNJ framework is largely articulated in the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). There are a number of
provisions within UNCLOS that apply explicitly to ABNJ.
UNCLOS delineates ABNJ into two separate legal areas, the water column
beyond 200 nautical miles of a nations coastline (called the High Seas) and
the seabed and subsoil beyond national jurisdiction (called the Area), each
having their own respective legal regimes within the Convention.
Part VII of the Convention provides for the freedom of navigation, laying of
submarine cables, fishing, and scientific research, among others, in the area
known as the High Seas. UNCLOS also provides that the High Seas are to be
used for peaceful purposes and does not allow claims to sovereignty or
sovereign rights its resources.
 CBD
Technical Report
No.19
 Indian fisheries

Among top 10 fish producing countries (2nd)

Annual total fish landings: 9.68 million tonnes

Marine fish landings: 3.59 million t (2014)

Value at first point of sale: Rs 78,053 Crores (2013-14)

Exports: 9.2 lakh t; Rs 33,442 Crores (US $ 5.5 billion)

 Physical profile of marine environment
Coastline: 8,118 km
EEZ: 2.02 million Sq km
Continental shelf: 0.53 m
Sq.km
Coastal area (<50 m depth): 0.18 m Sq km
Fishing villages: 3,288
Landing centres: 1,511
 Thousands * Crafts

5
10
15
20
25

0
West Bengal

Odisha

Andhar
Pradesh
Tamilnadu
Non Motorized

Puducherry

Kerala

Karnataka
Motorized

Goa
State wise & Sector wise fishing fleet in India.

Maharashtra

Gijarat
Mechanized

Daman Diu
 Traditional
resources in
India
Oil sardine

Indian mackerel

Bombay duck
Fishing scenario in the EEZ and beyond (ABNJ) in India
The deep sea fishing fleet in India can be broadly categorized
under four heads.

The first comprises fishing trawlers converted to tuna long liners

under a scheme implemented by the MPEDA.

The second category includes the vessels of 20 meter OAL and

above brought through the Letter of Permission (LOPs) issued by
the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries
(DAHD&F), Ministry of Agriculture.

The deep sea going fishing vessels of Thoothoor in Kanyakumari

district form the third category. These vessels also have a
collective called the Association of Deep Sea Going Artisanal
Fishermen (ADSGAF).

The fourth category of vessels are from Visakhapatnam and they

also fish in the deeper waters off the coast of Andhra Pradesh
Exploitation of fish: Subsistence level
Exploitation of fish: Artisanal scale
Exploitation of fish: Commercial scale trawling
Exploitation of fish: Mass scale (industrial)
All is not ! well
Introduction of Alien/Invasive species
A recent survey by the Department of Aquatic Biology and
Fisheries, University of Kerala, had recorded the presence of as
many as 10 invasive species in the biodiversity-rich intertidal
habitats of the Kerala coast.

They include one seaweed, one species of bryozoan, one species of

mollusc and seven species of ascidian.

The colossal loads of ballast water carried by ships could transport

fish, viruses, bacteria, algae, zooplankton and benthonic
invertebrates to harbours at a faster pace.

The survey also recorded the presence of a sea slug called Winged
Thecacera ( Thecacera Pennigera ) in the southwest coast of India.

Originally reported from the Atlantic coast of Europe, the presence

of sea slug is currently reported from South Africa, West Africa,
Pakistan, Japan, Brazil, eastern Australia and New Zealand.
 Ballast water is one of the biggest transporters of non-native
marine species.

Studies done by experts have indicated that over 10,000 marine

species are being transported across the world in ballast water
carried by ocean-going vessels for stability and safety.

Ballast water is discharged when the ship enters a new port,

releasing alien organisms into the local waters.

Very few of the invasive species establish a beachhead in their

newfound homes, but those that do have the potential to wreak
havoc on the ecosystem by preying on local species or competing
with them for food and habitat space. Ballast water is also
considered a vehicle for toxic algae causing red tides and harmful
algal blooms.
Now, problems in marine fisheries
are exacerbated by climate change

Climate
threats
Climate change

It was realized about ten years ago that the scope for increasing fish catch from
the coastal waters is limited. Climate change is projected to exacerbate this
situation and act as a depensatory factor on fish populations.

Warming of water has potential impact on fish diversity, distribution, abundance

and phenology, which will have, in turn, effects on the ecosystem structure and
function.

Global warming and the consequent changes in climatic patterns will have strong
impact on fisheries with far-reaching consequences for food and livelihood
security of a sizeable section of the population.

Acidification of water will have effects on calciferous animals.

Source: CMFRI newsletter,2006
 Threats from climate change
Distributional shifts of oil sardine and mackerel
Early maturation at smaller size
Less fecundity (less number of eggs/kg body weight.
Change in trophic interactions of species
Loss of spawning synchrony with seasons, so less
recruitment to fishery.
Coral bleaching and loss of habitat of coral organisms
Warming of Arabian sea: Small pelagics extending northwards

Surface waters are warming

by 0.04C/decade
Malabar coast landings have
not declined, so sardine is
extending northwards not
shifting.
Indian mackerel is getting
deeper & downwards.

 Extension of Oil sardine production along the coast of India
(Coloured line indicates the % of oil sardine production in India)
Latitude(oN)

Source: Vivekanadan, 2010

Longitude(oE)
Changes in fish phenology: Life cycle changes

Bombay duck is maturing early at smaller

size from 232 mm (Bapat,1958) to 192 mm
(Deshmukh, 2009).

Silver pomfret matured earlier at 410 g size

now it is maturing first at 280 g size.

Both fishes maturing at smaller size means

less reproductive output (less number of
eggs).
So, less recruitment to the fishery.
Vulnerability of Arabian Sea due to OMZ
 Increased incidence of extreme events such as storms, floods and
drought will affect the safety and efficiency of fishing operations,
flow of rivers, area covered by wetlands and water availability
and will have severe impacts on fisheries.

Sea level rise will have effects on the coastal profile and
livelihoods of communities.

The potential outcome for fisheries may be decrease in

production and value of fisheries, and decline in the economic
returns from fishing operations.

Overfishing, pollution and other factors, though, jellyfish

populations are exploding into super abundances and exploiting
these changes in ways that we could never have imagined
Pollution &
ecosystem damage
More Carbon dioxide = Ocean acidification
Ocean
acidification?
Corals in peril: Coral bleaching
 LCA of Mechanised ring seine unit
[kg CO2-Equiv.]
Kerosene
Diesel 30%
29%

Other
33%
Gear
27%

Petrol Lubricants
Craft (carrier) Craft 2% 1%
3% 8%

Percentage contribution of a mechanised ring seine fishing

system in operation to carbon emission
 LCA of Mechanised Trawl Operation
[kg CO2-Equiv.]

Kerosene
30%

Diesel
29%

Other
33%
Gear
27%

Petrol Lubricants
Craft (carrier) Craft 2%
8% 1%
3%

Percentage contribution of a mechanised Trawl fishing

system in operation to carbon emission
 Marine fish landings in India: 1961-2014

Declining trend since 2012.

Deep Sea Fishing Policies of India
 Unlike most other developing countries, India has never signed a
fisheries access agreement with a distant water fishing nation
(DWFN), and has persisted for decades in its attempts to develop
its own offshore industrial fisheries to protect the national
interest.

Indian marine fishing region can be broadly classified into coastal

fishing within the territorial waters administered by the Coastal
States/Union Territories (Union List II) and the deep sea/offshore
fishing beyond territorial waters up to the boundary of EEZ
claimed to be administered by the Central Government (Union
List I) .

List III contains a list of items which fall under the shared
responsibility of both the Union Government and the States
(Concurrent List), and both the Indian Parliament and the State
Legislatures have power to pass laws regarding these items.
 In practice, traditional fishing vessels operate within 50 meters in
depth and small-scale vessels of less than 20m LOA operate up to
200 meters with exceptions of few vessels operating beyond 200
meters up to the 200 nautical mile border of the Indian EEZ.

Coastal Fishing Policy has been an open access regime, with many
entrants exploiting coastal marine resources to their full potential.
There are no legal provisions in place below State level to legislate
for fisheries management at the local level.

There is no Act or Regulation in place in India to regulate Indian

Fishing Vessels or manage fishery resources beyond territorial
waters up to the boundary of EEZ of India when tiny countries like
Maldives have efficient laws to regulate and manage fishery
resources in their EEZ.

Only legislation available in this zone is the Maritime Zones India

(Regulation of Fishing by Foreign Vessels) Act of 1981 and its
regulations of 1982 for foreign fishing vessels.
 Even this Act or regulations do not cover anything to protect or
conserve marine fishery resources. This means there is no law
available in the country to prevent any Indian fishing vessel from
using any destructive fishing methods or even destroy the fishery
resources beyond repair in Indian waters beyond the territorial limits
up to the boundary of EEZ.

There was an attempt made by the Government of India to draft a bill

for fisheries regulations and management in 2009 but still the bill
could not be placed in the parliament for its consideration.

Now it is being considered with some modification as 2012 bill. India

is the only country in the Indian Ocean to have no regulations for
domestic vessels in this water zone.
The Expert Committee (EC) headed by B Meenakumari was constituted in
August 2013 proposed the following categorization of fishing vessels for
consideration of the Government of India:

1) Traditional boats (non-motorized) of <12 meter OAL doing fishing

only within Territorial Waters for both subsistence and commerce. Such
vessels to meet the basic safety and communication requirements;

2) Motorized and mechanized vessels of <12 meter OAL: undertaking

small scale fishing mainly within Territorial Waters for commercial
purposes, including exports. Such vessels to meet the standard safety,
communication and navigation requirements, if fishing outside the
Territorial Waters; others to meet the basic requirements.

3) Mechanized small-scale and intermediate range of vessels of >12 to 24

meter OAL- fishing for commerce outside the Territorial Waters and up to
the EEZ and beyond. Such vessels to meet full safety, communication and
navigation requirements, consistent with those required for vessels >24
meter OAL.
4) Vessels >24 m categorized as industrial deep-sea fishing vessels-
Such vessels to fish only outside the Territorial Waters and to fully
comply with the MMD stipulations.
 The Committee observed that as per the existing practice, vessels of
20 meter OAL and above are registered by the MMD, DG Shipping
and are granted LOPs for fishing in EEZ by the DAHD&F.

On the other hand fishing vessels of <20 meter OAL are registered
and licensed for fishing in territorial waters by the State/Union
Territory (UT) Governments under the provisions of their Marine
Fishing Regulation Act or the MFRA.

While the State/UTs permission is to fish only with the Territorial

Waters, it is seen that most of these vessels, especially the
mechanized category fish in areas beyond Territorial Waters, i.e., in
the EEZ and sometimes even in high seas.

In this regard, the Committee suggested that the Central

Government may consider bringing out the legislation on regulation
of fishing in the EEZ by wholly Indian-owned fishing vessels at the
earliest
The MCS suggested by the working group for better management
of the fishing fleet in India for the Twelfth Five-Year Plan Period
(2012- 2017) are:
Setting up of an MCS Division in the Department of Animal
Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DAHD&F), Ministry of
Agriculture;

Setting up of an MCS Division in Department of Fisheries of

States/UT Administrations;

Issue of biometric cards to marine fishers;

Development of national fishermen database;

Mandatory registration and licensing of all fishing vessels including

artisanal vessels
 Implementation of color coding for all fishing boats;

Fitment of distress alert transmitters, GPS and other safety devices;

Fitment of automatic identification system for tracking and

regulating fishing vessels;

Registration and licensing of boat building yards and development

of a centralized data base;

Setting up of harbor based MCS units;

Setting up of fishermen MCS committees at Fishing Harbors (FHs),

Fishing Landing Centers (FLCs) and fishing villages;

Awareness campaign, outreach and educational programmes and

capacity building at all levels; and Data compilation processing and
dissemination.