Question

'India's offshore and deep-sea catch capacity of fishing is very poor considering its marine potential of 20-25 million tonnes. Justify the statement by giving two reasons.

Answer 1

Only 11 per cent of the potential fishing grounds in India are more than 200 m deep. India has not been able to make use of the natural advantage to its full potential for fish production because of the following reasons:

For India, being a country in the tropical region, it is difficult to preserve fish for a long time and the huge expenditure on refrigeration and freezing processes can increase the market price of fish. Fishermen usually do not sail beyond 10 km from the coast, and more than 60 per cent of them still use small non-mechanical boats in India.