Home FINFISH FISHERIES DIVISION

Thrust areas of research

Estimation of maximum sustainable yield and stock assessment of major demersal fishes of the Indian coast.
Development of management options to maritime states for sustaining and enhancing the demersal resources.
Assessing the impact of climate change on marine fisheries and enhance the resilience of marine fisheries through development and application of improved production technologies.
Inventorying of Elasmobranchs occurring along Indian waters through DNA bar coding, prepare a national plan of action for sharks for better management and conservation.Evaluation of the fishery and resource characteristics of exploied pelagic resources growth, migration and stock assessment of major exploited pelagic fishery resources-by direct development of fisheries management advisories for Kerala, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Orissa and West Bengal and Lakshwadeep.
Development of management strategies for sustaining the pelagic fish stock and yield at optimum levels.

Ongoing Research Projects:

Completed Projects (last plan period)

a. In-house Projects

b. Sponsored Projects

c. Consultancy Projects

Significant Achievements in the last 5 years

Significant Achievements in the last 5 years

Technologies/ concepts/ findings

• The contribution of demersals reduced over the years to 26% in 2013 and the shift in landings from large carnivorous fishes to small Planktivorous fishes is attributed to the phenomenon of fishing down marine food web
• Developed management advisories for sustaining marine fisheries of Tamil nadu & Puducherry, Gujarat and Kerala & Lakshadweep and the effort required to exploit the resources at sustainable level indicated.
• The carbon sequestration potential of Indian sea weeds assessed. Ulva lactuca was found to be have maximum sequestration potential and sea weed farming on large scale in suitable areas will help to fix Co
• Rapid stock assessment of Elamsobranchs indicates that the population along Indian coast is either less abundant or declining in different parts of Indian coast and in some places like Tamil Nadu and Puducherry shark population is depleted.
• Role of artificial reefs in enhancing fish catch and livelihood investigated
• Under the national initiative in climate resilient agriculture project (NICRA) evidences are now available that with Increase in SST increase in dispersal and abundance of small Pelagics (oil sardine and mackerel).
  • Reduction in mean size in the fishery (mackerel, Nemipterus sp.)
  • Reduction in length at first maturity (mackerel, coastal prawns).
  • Reduction in fecundity (coastal prawns).
  • Change in spawning season (Nemipterus sp.)
  • Change in diet composition (oil sardine).
• Carbon foot printing of marine fisheries estimated
• Integration of fin fish culture with paddy and shrimp in Pokkali fields demonstrated and the profitability proven.
• Seed production of climate resilient species of high value marine finfish (Pompano and cobia) standardised

• Scientific information on fishery and resource characteristics of oil sardine, lesser sardines, anchovies, Indian mackerel, coastal and oceanic tunas, tuna live baits, billfishes, seerfishes, carangids, ribbonfishes, Bombay-duck, barracuda, king fish and myctophids were developed and documented.
• Database on biology - food and feeding, maturation, spawning, recruitment and size composition in the catch of major species were developed.
• Population parameters and biological reference points (BRP’s) of major species were estimated and documented
• Stock assessment of major exploited resources were carried out and proposed fishery management guidelines for sustaining their stock and yield at optimum levels.
• Developed fisheries management advisories (Policy briefs) for marine fisheries of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa.
• Migratory path of oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) and ribbonfish (Trichiurus lepturus) along the Indian coastbwere mapped.
• Satellite telemetry studies on Mmigration patterns of tunas in the Indian Seas initiated.
• Taxonomy of major pelagic groups were studied, database on morphometric and meristic characteristics of the species were developed and key for their field identification was prepared for carangids, tunas, barracudas and other large pelagics.
• Molecular studies of barracudas and tunas completed and barcodes deposited with NCBI.
• New species of barracuda, Bombay duck and several deepsea fishes were described.
• Fish ageing and image analyzing laboratory was established at the Division, CMFRI, Kochi.
• Yellowfin tuna and mahe mahe (coryphaena) aged using otolth inscriptions.