Sustainable Fisheries Management in Coastal Communities of India: Challenges, Governance Frameworks, and Pathways Forward

Coastal fisheries play a pivotal role in food security, export revenues and livelihoods in India. Marine fisheries are responsible for millions of fishers, processors and allied workers, with a coastline of 8118 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone of 2.02 million km2. But this industry is increasingly under ecological, institutional and social pressures. The majority of the assessed marine fish stocks (nearly 30 per cent) are overfished; fish landings decreased by 2 per cent in 2024 to 3.45 million tonnes; post-harvest losses are between 20 and 30 per cent, and coastal communities are becoming more vulnerable to cyclones, sea level rise and warming seas. This article presents an overview of sustainable fisheries management in the coastal communities of India based on the findings of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute and the Food and Agriculture Organisation and recent policy literature. It covers state-level Marine Fishing Regulation Acts, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, seasonal fishing ban and community-based regulation system (padu system). The sustainability of production needs sciencebased regulation, gender responsive policy, better value chains, climate adaptation and community institutions to be recognised, the author concludes. Fisheries governance must be made ecologically based, socially inclusive, and accountable to the coastal communities to realise the Blue Economy vision in India.