The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying is organizing the 19th Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics (WPDCS19) of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) from 28th November to 2nd December 2023.
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for the management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean.
Tunas and other large pelagic species, such as billfishes, sharks, and rays, hold immense economic significance, with tunas alone contributing an estimated annual value of trade of US$41 billion (in 2018).
The international scope of these species necessitates collaborative efforts for improved management and conservation, given their susceptibility to overfishing by multinational fisheries.
Pelagic fish
Pelagic fish can be categorized as coastal and oceanic fish, based on the depth of the water they inhabit.
Coastal pelagic fish inhabit sunlit waters up to about 655 feet deep, typically above the continental shelf. Examples of species include forage fish such as anchovies, sardines, shad, and menhaden and the predatory fish that feed on them.
Oceanic pelagic fish typically inhabit waters below the continental shelf. Examples include larger fish such as swordfish, tuna, mackerel, and even sharks.
Pelagic fish get their name from the area that they inhabit called the pelagic zone.
Pelagic zone
The pelagic zone is the largest habitat on earth with a volume of 330 million cubic miles.
Pelagic species are species that frequent the pelagic zone which is any water in a sea or lake that is neither close to the bottom nor near to the shore.
