AN OVERVIEW OF COASTAL TUNA RESOURCES AND THEIR STATUS ALONG INDIAN WATERS.

ABSRACT India is the prominent coastal nation in Indian Ocean region, engaged in tuna fishing and research. For years together, tuna fishing activities in Indian seas were limited to coastal waters targeting mainly for neritic tunas. Neritic tunas are represented by Little tuna (Euthynnus affinis), Frigate tuna (Auxis thazard), Bullet tunas (Auxis rochei), Long-tail tuna (Thunnus tonggol) and Striped Bonito (Sarda orientalis). Neritic tuna are mainly caught by small traditional crafts; which operates mainly gillnets, mini purse seines, ring seines, hook and lines where the main target fish is not tuna rather it is a bye catch but it contributes significantly to the tuna landing. Pole and lines and troll lines are mainly targeting tunas; which also contributes to the tuna fishery, mainly in the Island groups of Indian EEZ. At present the modern fishing fleets are also being deployed to catch the neritic tunas. The tuna production has increased commensurately, albeit, in respect of neritic tunas. The estimated potential projected for the neritic tunas and seer fishes upto 100m depth zone are 1,56,049 tonnes. The total production of tunas and tuna-like fishes including neritic and oceanic tunas and seer fishes during the year 2012 was 1,37,544 tonnes against a total production of 1,26,609 tonnes during 2011,where as the total production of neritic tunas ( 59,045 tonnes) and Seer fishes (56,101 tonnes) during the year 2012 was 1,15,146 tonnes. The average tuna and seer fish landing during 2008-2012 is 1,26,282.6 tonnes. This implies that, there is an increase in the landing by coastal tuna, oceanic tuna and seer fishes. During the year 2012, among the neritic tunas; Kawakawa or little tuna was dominant (55.49%) species followed by Long tail tuna (24.5%), Bullet tuna (10.5%), Frigate tuna (6%) and Striped Bonito (3.5%). In the present paper, the status of the coastal tuna resources and gear wise landing of tuna and tuna- like fishes during the year 2008-2012 and the species distribution along the Indian coast are discussed.