Fisheries
Topic: Rural Development: Diversification, Allied Sectors and Organic Farming · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Rural Development"
Meaning
Fisheries means catching and farming fish in inland waters (rivers, ponds, lakes) and in the sea. Inland fisheries and aquaculture, meaning fish farming in controlled water bodies, now supply about three-quarters of India's fish output. The sector supports millions of fishworker households. Many of them are poor, in debt and underemployed. The fishing community regards the water body as its "mother" or "provider".
Example
India is the third-largest fish producer, with about 8% of world output, and the second-largest in aquaculture. Output reached a record of about 184 lakh tonnes in 2023-24. Women do not fish actively, but they are about 60% of the export-marketing workforce and 40% of the internal-marketing workforce.
Don't confuse with
- Marine fisheries: these are only the sea catch, which is the smaller part, about 25% of value. The trap statement "marine fisheries dominate India's output" is false.