Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu is the southernmost district in the Indian peninsula. It is arguably also the most important centre in India for tuna and tuna-like fisheries. Fishermen from several fishing villages in the district, particularly in the fishing village Toothoor, are engaged in gillnet, hook and line and longline fishing for tuna and tuna-like species for more than five decades. The Toothoor fishers are famous for their multi-day fishing voyages and fish almost in the entire Indian Exclusive Economic Zone. In the last one decade or so their fishing operations have also moved to international waters.Considering this, the Fifth Scoping Consultation on Tuna and Tuna-like Fisheries in India was heldon August 12, 2016at Hotel Udupi International, Nagercoil (Tamil Nadu). Key stakeholders, particularly boat owners and workers, fish tradersand representatives fromthe Department of Fisheries, Government of Tamil Naduparticipated in the Consultation.The participating stakeholders identified several issues and opportunities for sustainable development of tuna fisheries in the country.The Consultation also brought out the complicated nature of tuna fishery and the need to manage it by considering ecological, economic and social sustainability parameters. The need to change the attitude and behavior of fishers and convince them to “catch less and benefit more” was also recognized in the Consultation.
12 August 2016; Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu