"ICAR-CMFRI Annual Report 2024: India's Marine Fish Catch Drops by 2% to 3.47 Million Tonnes and Gujarat Leads Despite 8% Decline".
National
In July 2025, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research - Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) released its "ICAR-CMFRI Annual Report 2024," revealing a 2% decline in India's marine fish catch compared to 2023. The total catch for 2024 stood at 3.47 million tonnes, highlighting regional disparities and species-specific fluctuations.
- Gujarat led the marine fish landings in 2024 with 754,000 tonnes, followed by Tamil Nadu with 679,000 tonnes and Kerala with 610,000 tonnes. Despite topping the list, Gujarat, which accounts for 22% of India's total fish catch, recorded an 8% decline compared to 2023.
- Among the marine species, Indian mackerel was the most harvested, with a catch of 2.63 lakh tonnes, followed by oil sardine at 2.41 lakh tonnes. Pelagic species made up 54% of the total landings, indicating their dominance over demersal fishes, crustaceans, and molluscs.
- The report noted a positive trend in the landings of species such as lesser sardines, penaeid shrimps, anchovies, and tuna, which showed improved numbers compared to the previous year. However, key species like mackerel, threadfin breams, ribbonfish, non-penaeid shrimps, and cephalopods faced a significant decline.
Main Point :- (i) Regionally, East Coast states recorded strong gains, with Maharashtra showing a 47% increase, West Bengal 35%, Tamil Nadu 20%, and Odisha 18%. In contrast, West Coast states such as Karnataka, Goa, and the union territory of Daman & Diu saw declines in fish catch volumes.
(ii) Sector-wise analysis indicated that the motorised fishing sector grew significantly by 10 lakh tonnes, especially in Tamil Nadu and East Coast regions. However, the mechanised sector, which contributes 76% of the total fish catch, saw a decline of about 1.7 lakh tonnes, hinting at operational inefficiencies or resource strain.
(iii) The ICAR-CMFRI monitored over 2.5 lakh fishing trips in 2024 to assess national Afishing productivity. Mechanised vessels had an average catch of 2,959 kg per trip, while motorised boats used by traditional fishermen yielded 174 kg per trip. Non-motorised vessels, often manually operated, recorded only 41 kg per trip, showing vast productivity gaps between different fishing technologies.
About Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI);
Director-Grinson George
Headquarters - Kochi, Kerala
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