Source: PIB
Context: Marking the Silver Jubilee of the Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) released the “National Report on Deep-Sea and Distant-Water Fishery Resources of the Indian EEZ.”
What is an Exclusive Economic Zone?
- An EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from a country’s coastline. Within it, the country has exclusive rights to explore and exploit marine resources — fish, minerals, energy — though other countries retain freedom of navigation.
- India’s EEZ, at 2.37 million sq km, is larger than two-thirds of its land area.
Where the Research Was Done
- The Arabian Sea
- The Bay of Bengal
- Lakshadweep waters
- The Andaman Sea
- The Southern Ocean (Antarctica)
Key Findings
- Twilight Zone (200–1,000 metres): This deep part of the ocean has lanternfish, shrimps and squid-like animals. They move up at night to feed and go deeper during the day. This helps carry carbon from the surface to the deep ocean, helping control the climate.
- Deep-sea resources: The sea floor beyond 200 metres has large but less-used stocks of shrimps, fish, flatfish and eels.
- Important ocean species: The report covers tuna, billfish, sharks, squid and Antarctic krill.
- Biodiversity hotspots: Important areas include Kollam Bank, Angria Bank, Mangalore Deep-Sea Slope, Trivandrum Terrace, Lakshadweep and Andaman-Nicobar Islands.
- New technology: The study uses underwater sound, eDNA, satellites, AI and automated observation systems to study marine life.
- Why it matters: Identifying breeding and important habitat areas can help protect marine life while allowing fishing in suitable areas.
