Kochi, May 1 -- India's marine fish production in 2025 rose by 3% to 35.7 lakh tonnes compared to the previous year, ICAR-CMFRI on Thursday said. According to an assessment by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Tamil Nadu emerged as the top marine fish-producing state, overtaking Gujarat with 6.85 lakh tonnes. A CMFRI statement said Gujarat slipped to second place after a 15% decline, attributed to adverse weather, extended fishing bans, and cyclonic disturbances. Kerala remained in third position with marine fish landings of 6.24 lakh tonnes, registering a marginal 2% increase over 2024. Among other major states, Karnataka recorded a 44% surge in landings following a steep decline in 2024, while Maharashtra posted an 18% increase. As per CMFRI's annual marine fish landing estimates, Indian mackerel remained the most landed marine resource in the country at 2.70 lakh tonnes, followed by cephalopods at 2.57 lakh tonnes and oil sardine at 2.53 lakh tonnes."Cephalopods and threadfin breams recorded growth of 25% and 55% respectively, both reaching decadal-high levels. Pelagic fish accounted for 54% of the total catch, followed by demersal resources, crustaceans and molluscs, the statement said. In Kerala, Indian oil sardine emerged as the top marine resource with landings of 1.68 lakh tonnes, up 13% over 2024 and marking a decadal high. Threadfin breams and cephalopods in the state registered increases of 27% and 16% respectively. Kerala accounted for around 17% of India's total marine fish production in 2025, CMFRI said. "Heavy rain and a cargo shipwreck led to the loss of fishing days in May and June in the southern districts of the state, affecting operations," it said. Ernakulam district contributed the highest share of Kerala's marine fish landings at 29%, followed by Kollam at 25% and Kozhikode at 18%. Among landing centres, Neendakara in Kollam topped the list with around 70,000 tonnes, followed by Munambam with nearly 64,000 tonnes....