Assessing the Status of Tuna Fishery in India: A Study with Special Reference to Lakshadweep
Muhammed Luqman O P, Thomas Felix K and Ramappa K B
Abstract
This paper investigates the status of tuna fisheries in India, with a particular emphasis on Lakshadweep. Despite India’s abundant oceanic tuna resources, the country has historically lacked organised commercial tuna fisheries, except for artisanal fisheries in Lakshadweep and a few parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Employing Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) and Composite Entropy Index (CEI), this study analyses the trends and diversification in Indian tuna fisheries from 1997 to 2022. The findings indicate a positive growth trend (CAGR: 3.08%) but a recent decline in diversification (CEI: 0.65-0.77). Lakshadweep demonstrates a favourable growth rate (CAGR: 3.80%) yet faces challenges such as overdependence on skipjack tuna and low diversification (CEI below 0.5).This study aims to elucidate the trends and dynamics of tuna fishing in India, with a special reference to Lakshadweep’s role and scope, and recommends suitable measures to address challenges to enhance the potential of India’s tuna fishery while ensuring ecological sustainability.