Steering toward sustainability: Proposed Minimum Legal Size for 50 marine species

Kumar, Rajan and Vase, Vinay Kumar and Koya, Mohammed and Dash, Swatipriyanka Sen and Dash, Gyanaranjan and Pradhan, Rajesh Kumar and Rahangdale, Shikha and Abdul Azeez, P and Swathi Lekshmi, P S (2024) Steering toward sustainability: Proposed Minimum Legal Size for 50 marine species. Marine Fisheries Information Service; Technical and Extension Series (262). pp. 7-10. ISSN 0254-380X

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Abstract

The marine fisheries sector in Gujarat is undergoing rapid advancements, with notable improvements in fishing technology, expansion into new fishing grounds, and targeting of previously untapped resources. The industry is primarily led by a mechanized fleet—trawlers at the forefront—followed by dolnetters, gillnetters, and motorized fleets (both inboard and outboard). However, declining catch rates of commercially valuable fish species have pushed fishermen to harvest smaller-sized fish, posing a serious threat to the long-term sustainability of fish stocks. One effective tool to combat growth overfishing is the implementation of minimum legal size (MLS) regulations. MLS helps reduce juvenile exploitation, protects reproductive groups, and enables fish to grow, ultimately improving market value.

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