Why in News?

• Recently, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), India’s marine fisheries produced 1.32 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce one kilogram of fish in 2016 during entire value chain (from the construction of boats to retail) lower than the global average of 2 tonnes.

Highlights

• The findings were discussed at a review meeting of the fisheries component of the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), a research project launched in 2011.
• Active fishing consumes more than 90% of the fuel used in the sector, contributing 4,934 million kilograms of CO2 emissions annually.
• The country’s carbon emissions from the marine mechanized fisheries sector is 16.3%, lower than the global level.
• While the use of fossil fuels has increased the availability of fish to fisheries, the dependence of the fishing sector on fossil fuels raises concerns related to climate change.
• The carbon footprint from Indian marine fisheries is smaller because they depend largely on human force.
• Large mechanised fishing boats were introduced in India in the late 1950s, but the fleet size is growing. Their number increased to 72,559 in 2010 from 6,708 in 1961.
• When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, it forms carbonic acid, which lowers the pH of the water.
• This can make it difficult for many marine organisms to build and maintain their shells and skeletons, which can have serious consequences for their survival
• Increasing carbon footprint can lead to changes in the distribution and abundance of plankton, which form the base of the marine food web.
• This can affect the growth and survival of fish, marine mammals, and other species
• Coral reefs are highly sensitive to changes in water temperature and chemistry, and increasing carbon footprint can cause widespread coral bleaching.
• Marine ecosystems are changing due to an increase in the intensity of cyclones, sea-level rise and the warming of the Indian Ocean.
• The diversity of species Is changing. For example, during coral bleaching, reef-associated fish deplete.