Study on India's vast untapped mesopelagic resources launched

Kochi, May 10 -- In a major boost to India's marine fisheries sector, a collaborative pilot study has been launched to explore the possibilities of exploitation of mesopelagic resource, estimated at two million tonnes, within India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The research will be carried out by ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research (CMFRI) and ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) with the funding of National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

This is a pilot project with participation from fishermen and commercial trawlers to estimate the untapped potential of mesopelagic resources. The outcome of the research will determine the feasibility of large-scale exploi...