The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is spearheading research activities integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to develop data-driven models for species-specific Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories. The focus is on prominent commercial fish species like sardine, mackerel, and hilsa.
Operating under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), INCOIS issues daily bulletins to fishermen across coastal states, providing PFZ advisories that indicate the probable locations of fish species. This innovative approach not only saves valuable resources such as money, fuel, and time for fishermen but also enhances the sustainability of the fishing industry.
INCOIS’s commitment extends to species-specific advisories for tuna fish, employing telemetry services and a cutting-edge 3D-advisory system. This system furnishes precise details on the maximum fishing depth, longitude, and latitude, optimizing tuna fishing efforts.
The potential for tuna fishing in Indian seas is substantial, estimated at about 2.13 lakh tonnes, prompting the Marine Products Exports and Development Authority (MPEDA) to seek a similar advisory system for this species.
The MPEDA has initiated a scheme to convert existing fishing vessels into tuna long-liners, aligning with the growing demand for oceanic tuna. INCOIS, leveraging geo-referenced tuna catch details and remote sensing data, has successfully piloted Tuna Fishery Advisories.
These advisories, based on satellite-derived parameters like sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, and water clarity, pinpoint potential ocean sites where tuna species are available.
Given tuna’s migratory nature, a collaborative project with national fisheries institutes was undertaken to study habitat preferences and migration routes in the Indian Ocean, utilizing satellite data. These advisories are now disseminated to tuna long-liners through the WebGIS platform.
Daily Potential Fish Advisories are issued in eight coastal languages, along with English and Hindi, reaching approximately nine lakh fishermen. The economic benefits are substantial, including fuel savings, increased profits for fishermen, and a reduction in carbon emissions.
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute estimates that with a 15% adoption rate, this initiative could save around 9 lakh liters of diesel, equivalent to ₹4.68 crore, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2,412 tonnes. The transformative impact of these advisories underscores a sustainable and technologically advanced future for India’s fisheries sector.
