Silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis

Long line catch of blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus

Central fish biology laboratory at Kochi

Threadfin bream catch at Munambam Fisheries Harbour

The thrust area of research in Finfish Fisheries Division (FFD) primarily focuses on assessing exploited marine finfish stocks of India using suitable models integrated with ageing techniques to formulate sustainable fishery management plans and policy advisories. Additionally, the division aims to forecast the fishery of finfish resources affected by various factors, including climate change, and maintain a spatio-temporal database on the life-histories of exploited marine finfish resources and their habitats. Human resource development through training, education, and extension activities on marine finfish resources and their fisheries is also emphasized areas of the division. Ongoing and completed research projects have resulted in significant achievements, including the development of databases on resource composition and biology of prioritized species, documentation of spatio-temporal distribution and abundance of fish eggs and larvae, identification and mapping of live bait abundance and spawning sites, standardization of fishery forecasting protocols, assessment of the impact of Minimum Legal Size (MLS) enforcement, estimation of stock status of major exploited species, and publication of Non-Detriment Findings (NDF) of CITES-listed species. Additionally, technological advancements include the identification of new finfish species, standardization of ageing protocols for tropical teleost fishes, and the design and popularization of ornaments using otoliths with potential in the jewel industry.