Comprehensive Marine Fishing Policy 2004.

The Marine Fishing Policy initiatives are required not only for making marine fisheries sustainable and responsible, but also globally competitive so that Indian producers stand to gain in international markets. This arrangement was appropriate until recently considering that only the resources close to the coasts of the maritime states were harvested. The global scenario with respect to marine fisheries is rapidly changing with major developments in harvesting and processing technology and consequent expansion of global markets for fish and fishery products. Relevance of the Marine Fisheries Sector extends beyond the livelihood security of the large coastal population to the food security of our countrymen and our foreign exchange generation. The potential of the sector for employment generation through ancillary activities and empowerment of coastal womenfolk is significant. However, the global marine fisheries, especially the coastal sector, has been under constant threat in the recent years basically due to depleting resources, land and sea based pollution and upheaval in the climatic conditions.