The ICAR–Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT) has played a pivotal role in promoting responsible fishing practices in India through innovative vessel and gear designs, that enhance ecological sustainability and economic efficiency of marine fisheries in India. The major achievements include the development of an energy-efficient “green” combination vessel FV Sagar Harita, a 19.75 m multi-purpose training and research vessel that is found to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions when compared to conventional vessels in the fishery. The combined operations for gillnet, and longline fishing, serve as a model for sustainable and diversified fishing practices. In addition to this, innovations in solar powered boats for fishing and hybrid fishing vessels, now being experimented in different parts of the country, are other achievements to address the issue of GHG emissions.
A standardized design of Turtle Excluder Device (CIFT-TED), developed in collaboration with NOAA (USA), is found to achieve over 90% exclusion of sea turtles without compromising shrimp catch, thereby ensuring compliance with global sustainability and trade requirements. The V-form slotted otter boards (VSOB), which is a design modification of the existing V-form otter board, is found to significantly reduce the fuel consumption in trawling, thereby catering to the efforts towards adoption of renewable energy sources in the marine fisheries, for reducing operational costs and carbon emissions. Further innovations in green technologies by the institute include the development of low-drag UHMWPE, short-body trawls and cut-away trawl designs intended to address to reduce the annual diesel consumption of over 165 million liters in the country.
Square-mesh codend, a simple intervention that replaces the traditional codends in trawls, are found to significantly reduce the juvenile bycatch, combined with fuel savings, and this is being adopted by more than half of the maritime states of India. In addition, many bycatch reduction devices were also developed that address the issue of bycatch in fishing. Eco-friendly alternatives to lead sinkers in fishing gears is another innovation that tries to address the issue of lead pollution in the marine environment. Quantification and mitigation of fishing related plastics is another area, where ICAR-CIFT has focused on and the research on quantitative assessments and technical guidelines that inform national policies on reducing food and gear losses, is a major achievement.
The initiatives that underscore the leadership of ICAR-CIFT in integrating technological innovation with responsible fisheries management, contributing to reduced ecological footprints, enhanced fleet efficiency, and compliance with international sustainability standards is discussed.