How ocean science is feeding coastal India

INCOIS PFZ advisories boost fish catches for Indian fishermen, increasing income, lowering fuel costs and reducing carbon footprint significantly.

Every morning, as fishing boats head out to sea, they carry more than just nets and bait; they carry insights from space. Thanks to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, thousands of fishermen are guided by Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories, generated using high-resolution satellite data and oceanographic analysis.

These advisories, based on parameters such as sea surface temperature, chlorophyll concentration and ocean currents, pinpoint likely fish-rich areas, thereby helping fishermen cast their net with more confidence. The result? Better catches, higher incomes, lower fuel costs and a smaller carbon footprint.

PFZ advisories are generated using high resolution satellite data from multiple sources and then disseminated to the fishermen daily.

The impact is measurable. A survey by the National Council of Applied Economic Research, covering 757 fishermen across 34 districts in seven States, recorded 1,079 successful fishing trips guided by PFZ advisories. On average, each trip earned an additional ₹17,820, collectively netting extra income of ₹1.92 crore.

INCOIS director T.M. Balakrishnan Nair, who carried out a study on the efficacy of PFZ advisories along with his team of scientists, found that 52% of fishermen received the advisories and 35% actively used them.

In a follow-up study conducted in 117 Kerala villages between 2022 and 2023, Nair’s team found a clear link between PFZ access and increased fish catch. The southwest coast, particularly Kerala, accounted for 37% of India’s marine fish landings in 2023 with 69% of the catch comprising sardines and mackerel.

In villages with major fishing harbours and landing centres such as Azheekkal, Beypore, Chellanam, Fort Kochi, Munambam, Neendakara and Sakthikulangara, the daily catch often exceeded 100 tonnes and occasionally peaked at 500 tonnes.