India is blessed with a long coastline of 8118 km and after
declaration of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in 1977, the
oceanic resources available to India are estimated at 2.02 million
sq. km, comprising 0.86 million sq. km (42.6 % of the total) on
the west coast, 0.56 million sq. km (27.7%) on the east coast and
0.60 million sq. km (29.7%) around the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands. The continental shelf area amounts to 530 000 sq. km of
which 71 percent area is available in the Arabian Sea (west coast)
and the remaining 29 percent in the Bay of Bengal (east coast).
218 marine resources
ANCHOR
INDIA
With the abundance of water resources and tropical climate, India
is home to rich and varied fish. Our estimated fishery potential is
4.24 million metric tons from the marine sector, and according
to CMFRI the level of exploitation in 2011 is about 3.84 mmt.
About 90% of the present marine production from a depth ra