Biology of some important Demersal FisheryResources In: ICAR Sponsored Winter School on Recent Advances in Fishery Biology Techniques for Biodiversity Evaluation and Conservation, 1-21 December 2018, Kochi.

Global total capture fishery production in 2014 was 93.4 million tonnes, of which 81.5 million tonnes from marine waters and 11.9 million tonnes from inland waters. Total capture production in marine waters was 81.5 million tonnes in 2014, a slight increase on the previous two years (SOFIA, 2016). The marine fish landings from the coast of the main land of India in 2017 was estimated as 3.83 million tonnes (t) showing an increase of 5.6% compared to in 2016. Landings in all the maritime states except Tamil Nadu increased in 2017. Highest landings was along the Gujarat coast (7.86 lakh t; 20.5%), followed by Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka with 6.55 lakh t (17.1%), 5.85 lakh t (15.3%) and 5.48 lakh t (14.3%). Percentage increase was high in Goa (64%), West Bengal (33%), Maharashtra (30%) and Kerala (12%). Along the Indian coast demersal finfishes form one of the major components in the marine fish landings. Demersal fish groups such as the sharks. groupers. snappers. threadfins, pormfrets and Indian halibut are commercially valuable and contribute substantially to the economy of Indian marine fisheries. Some of these groups, especially of largesize, are targeted by the fishermen by using different craft and gear combinations. However, several other demersal finfishes are not targeted, but are landed as bycatch by shrimp trawlers.