Fisheries in Maharashtra state

Abstract

Maharashtra State, endowed with a coastline of 720 km, has a continental shelf of 87,000 sq. km. The shelf up to 40 fathoms with an area of 44,000 sq. km possesses rich fisheries potential and almost the entire present fishing activity Is restricted to this zone. The harvest at the potential of this zone is estimated at 3.74 lakh tonnes. The shelf between 40 and 100 fathoms, measuring 43,000 sq. km., has harvestable potential of 0.80 lakh tonnes. The paper deals with the potential fishery resources, status of traditional fishing, development activities in the areais of mechanisation, construction of fishing hartbours and other infrastructural facilities, as well as fishermen welfare activities like the functioning of co-operative societies