Kochi

A study by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) revealed that enforcing the Minimum Legal Size (MLS) to ban juvenile fishing led to a 41% increase in threadfin bream yields in Kerala. This regulation boosted the spawning stock biomass, standing stock biomass, yield, and recruitment of threadfin breams, a species heavily impacted by juvenile fishing.

Presented at a CMFRI stakeholder workshop, the study emphasized the benefits of the MLS regulation. To enhance its effectiveness, CMFRI recommended extending MLS enforcement across the entire value chain and strictly regulating the mesh size of fishing nets.

Reducing juvenile fishing can significantly benefit the marine fisheries sector and help prevent species extinction, the report noted. It estimated a loss of Rs 1,777 crore over the past seven years due to juvenile fishing of threadfin breams, oil sardines, lizard fish, squid, and groupers. The average annual loss from fishing these young fish is estimated at Rs 216 crore.

The report also highlighted that 70% of sharks caught along the Kerala coast are below breeding size, underscoring the need for better protective measures for marine species.