KOCHI:
Ever since commercial trawl fishing started for export, 70 years ago, there has been fairly consistent volume of catches of Karikkadi shrimp (Parapenaeopsis stylifera), Poovalan shrimp (Metapenaeus dobsoni), Pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis), Indian squid (Uroteuthis duvaucelli), and Ocellate octopus (Amphioctopus neglectus, A. marginatus), along the Kerala coast.
The annual average (2015-17) catch along the Kerala coast alone, of these shrimps is approximately 40,000 tons, 15,000 tons of Squid, 15,000 tons of Cuttlefish, and 5,000 tons of Octopus. Over the years, with improvements in efficiency of fishing methods, the fishing volumes have remained steady fluctuating around MSY. There is no evidence that global environmental phenomenon like El Nino have any influence on these fisheries.
To ensure sustainability of the above 5 commercially important fishery, the state of Kerala amended the Kerala Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1980 in 2017. This amended Act monitors and regulates the number of fishing boats that can operate, the type of fishing gear that can be used, along with net mesh size, etc. The State Fisheries Department of Kerala, in recent years, has begun strictly monitoring and implementing this Act along the coast. Besides, the department is set to implement participatory fisheries management.
With the aim to maintain the health of our marine fishery resources and to support a sustainable fishery along the Kerala coast, 25 exporters, along with ‘Harvest of the Sea’, a major United States importer of these species from India, formed an Association called ‘Kerala Forum for Crustacean & Cephalopod Sustainability’ (KFCCS).
KFCCS is associated with the following stakeholders: Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), All Kerala Fishing Boat Owners Association (AKFBOA), The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Export Inspection Agency (EIA), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and have approached Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to start working towards certification.
On request of the Kerala exporters, MSC opened its India office to help work towards ensuring 100% sustainability of our fisheries. As on 1 st March 2019, these 5 commercially important species are now in a Fisheries Improvement Programme (FIP). The FIPs of the 5 species can be viewed at https://fisheryprogress.org/fip- profile/india-kerala-shrimp-and-cephalopods-trawl. The objective of the FIP is to achieve MSC Certification of these 5 species by 2024.
