Kochi, Aug 4 (NationPress) India’s marine fish landings totaled 3.47 million tonnes in 2024, reflecting a modest decrease of two percent compared to the previous year, as reported by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

Gujarat maintained its leading position in total fish landings with 754,000 tonnes, followed closely by Tamil Nadu at 679,000 tonnes and Kerala with 610,000 tonnes.

The CMFRI’s annual report highlighted that the Indian mackerel was the most commonly caught species in the country, accounting for 263,000 tonnes, followed by oil sardine at 241,000 tonnes.

Across India, various species including Indian mackerel, threadfin breams, oil sardine, ribbonfishes, non-penaeid shrimps, and cephalopods experienced a decline in landings in 2024 compared to the prior year. Conversely, landings of lesser sardines, penaeid shrimps, anchovies, and tunnies saw an increase.

Although the west coast experienced an overall reduction in landings, the east coast showed a positive trend, with Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh being notable exceptions. Maharashtra recorded the highest growth of 47 percent from the previous year.

States like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha also reported significant increases of 35 percent, 20 percent, and 18 percent respectively.

However, regions such as Karnataka, Goa, and Daman & Diu faced substantial declines in their landings.

A total of approximately 250,000 fishing trips were monitored, providing comprehensive insights into national fishing efforts and productivity. The CMFRI report noted that severe cyclonic storms, including Dana, Fengal, Remal, and Asna, significantly disrupted fishing activities, contributing to the overall decline.

Moreover, increased heatwave days in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala further hindered fishing operations.

In Kerala, marine fish catch saw a slight 4 percent decline in 2024 compared to the previous year, amounting to 610,000 tonnes.

Indian oil sardine dominated the list of most caught species in the state, totaling 149,000 tonnes, which was a modest increase of 7.6 percent.

Other significant contributors to Kerala’s marine catch included Indian mackerel (61,490 t), penaeid shrimp (44,630 t), anchovies (44,440 t), and threadfin breams (33,890 t).

Indian mackerel experienced a 16 percent decline in landings.

The year was marked by unusual fluctuations in oil sardine landings within the state.

A significant scarcity in the first quarter caused prices to soar to Rs 350-400 per kg.

However, from September onward, with landings surpassing 100,000 tonnes in the last quarter, prices plummeted to Rs 20-30 per kg.

The Fishery Resources Assessment, Economics, and Extension Division of the CMFRI utilized its online data collection system to estimate the country's annual marine fish landings.