(thehindubusinessline) Marine Products Exports Development Authority organised a national workshop to improve long-line fisheries for tuna and other large pelagic fish species.
Tuna is a most sought-after fish species in overseas market and Japan is the largest importer of tuna in Sashimi form (which is of highest quality, normally consumed raw).
Oceanic tunas are among the resources that offer immense scope for the development in the Indian EEZ as India has an estimated potential resources of 2,78,000 tonnes of tuna.
The tuna fishery in Indian Ocean is fully developed, with several coastal countries as well as distant water fishing nations participating in the fishery.
However, till recently there was no organised fishing for tuna along the Indian coast except pole and line fishery for skipjack in Lakshadweep Islands.
In the Indian Ocean, tuna is caught by the small and medium size vessels which are mainly Gillnetters, Purseiners, Pole & line, Hookline and Monofilament long-liners.
However, fish caught by long line fetches higher prices in the international market as the product quality will be superior compared with other methods of tuna fishing.
Considering the economic potential of the tuna resources, MPEDA along with FAO, Rome and INFOFISH, Malaysia has launched a project aimed to improve the harvesting and handling of tuna for producing value added products ensuring better price and better economic improvement.
MPEDA has organised a series of workshops in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The last among the workshops was held in Kochi which was inaugurated by Peter Ervin Kenmore, Country Representative, FAO, India on Thursday.
The event was presided over by Leena Nair, Chairman, MPEDA. Various dignitaries from fisheries institutes, representatives of seafood exporters, technologists from seafood processing units were present on the occasion.
About 75 processing and quality control technologists representing more than 50 seafood processing plant and about 60 fishermen will attend the workshop.
It is envisaged that the workshop will give specific and focused encouragement on tuna handing and processing of various value added products from tuna and their export marketing in various destinations.