A systematic review of the scombroid fishes of India

Abstract

From the standpoint of marine fishery resources there can be no doubt that scombroid fishes constitute the most important single element. Large scale exploitation of a greater part of this natural resource, especially of the truly pelagic species comprising tunas and billfishes has been in vogue for the past several decades, mainly by Japan and the United States of America. The importance of this potential wealth in the Indian Ocean has been forcefully drawing attention to by the extensive fishing operations carried out by the Japanese longline fishery fleets in the high seas of the Indian Ocean, and by exploratory offshore fishery operations carried out by some countries bordering the Indian Ocean.