Contribution of Mangroves to Marine Fisheries in India

Study Number

90

Author

Lavanya Ravikanth Anneboina and K. S. Kavi Kumar

Abstract

Mangroves support and enhance fisheries by serving as a breeding ground and nursery habitat for marine life. The mangrove-fishery link has been well established in the ecological literature. This paper, however, employs an economic analysis to examine the role of mangroves in increasing marine fish output in India. In particular, the effectiveness of mangroves in increasing marine fish production is analysed using secondary data on marine fish production and fishing inputs. The results based on econometric analysis indicate that mangroves contribute significantly to the enhancement of fish production in the coastal states of India. Further, the paper also analyses the contribution of mangroves to commercial marine fisheries output in India and the same is estimated to be in the range of 23 – 34 percent, which in economic terms is valued between Rs. 1.46 – 2.15 lakhs per hectare in 2012-13 prices. The relative contribution of mangroves to total fish catch estimated in the Indian context is comparable to that estimated in other countries.

Main Results and Conclusions

• Mangroves play a large role in promoting the health of marine fisheries and have a significant impact on the total catch of those fisheries
  • “Studies from across the world indicate that the relative contribution of mangrove-related fish species to total fisheries’ catch is significant in most cases. The more recent studies (excluding the small-Island studies) estimate mangroves’ contribution to fisheries in the range of 10 – 32 percent” (4)
  • “an increase in fish production can come from an increase in production efficiency that may be positively influenced by the presence of mangroves” (5)
• Mangroves in India in particular are important for maintaining fishery efficiency and ensuring a stable food supply for the population
  • “The results of the analysis indicate that mangroves do have a positive impact on fish production, which is evidenced through their influence on the technical efficiency of fish production” (17)
  • “The contribution of mangroves to total marine fish production in India, as per the estimates in this study, may be taken to be in the range of 23 – 34 percent” (21)
• The actual quantified value of mangroves when using the percentage of their contribution to fishery efficiency is approximately Rs. 68-100 billion, or Rs. 1.46 – 2.15 lahks per hectare
  • “Applying to this value, the percentage contribution of mangroves to marine fisheries estimated in this paper (i.e. 23 – 34 percent) gives the rupee value of mangroves’ contribution to marine fisheries in the range of Rs. 68 – 100 billion in India in 2012-13. On a per hectare basis, the economic value of mangroves’ contribution to marine fisheries in India translates into Rs. 1.46 – 2.15 lakhs per hectare in 2012-13 prices” (22-23)