The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has found that trawl-based fish landings in India have shown no significant decline during 2021-2025, while a majority of the country’s marine fish stocks remain sustainable.Replying to a question raised by M. P. Abdussamad Samadani in the Lok Sabha on the degradation of inshore benthic ecosystems due to the overcapacity and unregulated expansion of mechanised trawlers, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh said CMFRI’s assessments do not indicate any palpable decline in trawl-based fish landings during the period.According to CMFRI’s Marine Fish Stock Status of India (2022) report, 91.1 per cent of the 135 marine fish stocks assessed across different regions of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) were found to be sustainable.Marine biodiversity programmeThe Minister said CMFRI conducts long-term monitoring of marine fisheries and ecosystems using a statistically validated, FAO-recommended stratified multistage random sampling design. The institute collects time-series data on fish landings and fishing effort from more than 1,300 landing centres spread across India’s 11,000-km coastline to assess fish stock status and monitor ecosystem changes.He said CMFRI is implementing national programmes focusing on marine biodiversity, benthic ecosystem health, trophic interactions and the impact of bottom trawling on marine ecosystems.On the enforcement of the five-nautical-mile prohibition zone for mechanised trawlers to protect traditional fishers, the Minister said fisheries is a State subject. Coastal States have enacted their respective Marine Fishing Regulation Acts (MFRAs) governing fishing activities within territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline.These laws provide for zoning of fishing areas for traditional and mechanised vessels, regulations on mesh size and fishing gear, seasonal fishing bans, minimum legal size limits for fish capture, and prohibition of destructive fishing practices.The Minister also highlighted initiatives under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aimed at safeguarding the livelihoods of traditional fishers and enhancing marine fish stocks. These include the installation of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in trawl nets to protect sea turtles, sea ranching programmes, and the deployment of artificial reefs in coastal waters.In addition, PMMSY promotes deep-sea fishing vessels, open-sea cage culture, mariculture and seaweed farming to reduce fishing pressure on inshore coastal waters, he said.Published on July 29, 2026