Indian Ocean mariginal seas, Rivers, marine biodiversity, endangered species, conservation initiatives, Indian Ocean rim countries

1. Indian Ocean Fisheries
By
BHUKYA BHASKAR
FISHERIES

2. MARINE CAPTURE
PRODUCTION, AVERAGE
2018–2020

3. INLAND CAPTURE PRODUCTION IN FAO MAJOR FISHING AREAS

4. MARINE CAPTURE PRODUCTION: FAO MAJOR FISHING
AREAS

5. Cont...

6. MARINE CAPTURE
PRODUCTION: MAJOR SPECIES
AND GENERA

7. TRENDS IN GLOBAL CAPTURE FISHERIES
• In 2020, global marine captures were
78.8 million tonnes, a decline of 6.8 percent
from the peak of 84.5 million tonnes in 2018.

8. MARINE CAPTURE PRODUCTION: MAJOR PRODUCING
COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES

9. Introduction
• The Indian Ocean is over 70 million km2 in size and includes Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) statistical areas 51, 57 and 58, including the semi-enclosed Red
Sea and Arabian (Persian) Gulf .
• The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering
70,560,000 km2 (27,240,000 sq mi) or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface.
• It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east.
• To the south it is bounded by the Southern Ocean or Antarctica depending on the
definition in use. Along its core, the Indian Ocean has some large marginal or
regional seas such as the Arabian Sea, Laccadive Sea, Bay of Bengal and Andaman
Sea.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) suggests that
over 65% of the fish stocks it assesses for the Indian Ocean are exploited at a
sustainable level(FAO,2020).
• Small-scale fisheries, i.e. artisanal and subsistence sectors (Pauly and Zeller 2016)
in the Indian Ocean region constitute a major element of poverty alleviation and
food and nutritional security (Vianna et al. 2020) for some of the poorest coastal
communities in the world (van der Elst et al. 2005; De Young 2006).
• In 2006, the small-scale fishing sector was thought to employ 2.5 times more
people than was the industrial sector in the Indian Ocean region (De Young 2006).
• The specific regional fisheries management organisations with a data mandate of
relevance here are the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the Commission for
the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the Commission for the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR),

10. The Indian Ocean basin, as delineated by
FAO Statistical Areas 51, 57 and 58
• Coordinates:”20°S 80°E
type Ocean Primary inflows
Zambezi, Ganges-
Brahmaputra, Indus, Jubba,
and Murray (largest 5)
Catchment area
21,100,000 km2 (8,100,000
sq mi)
• Basin countries
South and Southeast
Asia, Western
Asia, Northeast, East and S
outhern
Africa and Australia Max.
length9,600 km (6,000 mi)
(Antarctica to Bay of
Bengal)Max.
width7,600 km (4,700 mi)
(Africa to Australia)Surface
area70,560,000 km2 (27,24
0,000 sq mi)Average
depth3,741 m
(12,274 ft)Max.
depth7,290 m (23,920 ft)
(Java Trench)Shore length
66,526 km
(41,337 mi)Islands
Madagascar, Sri
Lanka, Maldives, Reunion, S
eychelles, Mauritius
Marginal seas, gulfs, bays and straits of
the Indian Ocean include
Arabian Sea - 3.862 million km2
Bay of Bengal - 2.172 million km2
Andaman Sea - 797,700 km2
Laccadive Sea - 786,000 km2
Mozambique Channel - 700,000 km2
Timor Sea - 610,000 km2
Red Sea - 438,000 km2
Gulf of Aden - 410,000 km2
Persian Gulf - 251,000 km2
Flores Sea - 240,000 km2
Molucca Sea - 200,000 km2
Oman Sea - 181,000 km2
Great Australian Bight - 45,926 km2
Gulf of Aqaba - 239 km2
Gulf of Khambhat
Gulf of Kutch
Gulf of Suez
Rivers: The Indian drainage basin covers 21,100,000 km2 (8,100,000 sq mi), virtually identical to that of the
Pacific Ocean and half that of the Atlantic basin, or 30% of its ocean surface (compared to 15% for the Pacific).
The Indian Ocean drainage basin is divided into roughly 800 individual basins, half that of the Pacific, of which
50% are located in Asia, 30% in Africa, and 20% in Australasia. The rivers of the Indian Ocean are shorter on
average (740 km (460 mi)) than those of the other major oceans. The largest rivers are (order 5)
the Zambezi, Ganges-Brahmaputra, Indus, Jubba, and Murray rivers and (order 4) the Shatt al-Arab, Wadi Ad
Dawasir (a dried-out river system on the Arabian Peninsula) and Limpopo rivers.[17] After the breakup of
East Gondwana and the formation of the Himalayas, the Ganges-Brahmaputra rivers flow into the world's largest
delta known as the Bengal delta or Sunderbans

11. Countries bordering Indian Ocean
• The countries are
1. India(Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean)
2. Sri lanka(Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal,Park Strait,Gulf of Mannar)
3. Maldives(Indian Ocean)
4. Thailand(Bay of Bengal )
5. Bangladesh(Bay of Bengal)
6. Myanmar(Bay of Bengal)
7. Pakistan(Arabian Sea)
8. Malaysia(Bay of Bengal,Andaman Sea)
9. Singapore(Andaman Sea)
10. Indonesia(Indian Ocean, Andaman Sea)
11. Timor Leste(Timor Sea,Indian Ocean )
12. Australia(Indian Ocean )
13. Iran(Gulf of Persia, Arabian Sea)
14. Iraq(Gulf of Persia)
15. Kuwait(Gulf of Persia)
16. Saudi Arabia(Gulf of Persian, Red Sea)
17. Qatar(Gulf of Persia)
18. Bahrain(Gulf of Persia )
19. United Arab Emirates(Gulf of Persia,Arabian Sea )
20. Oman(Arabian Sea )
21. Yemen(Arabian Sea)
22. Egypt(Red Sea)
23. Sudan(Red Sea)
24. Eritrea(Red Sea)
25. Somalia Republic(Arabian Sea )
26. Kenya(Indian Ocean )
27. Tanzania(Indian Ocean )
28. Mozambique(Indian Ocean )
29. South Africa(Indian Ocean )
30. Madagascar(Indian Ocean )
31. Seychelles(Indian Ocean)

12. REGIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CAPTURE FISHERIES
AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION

13. Power Input or capacity of motorised and non motorised
fishing vessels by length class and fishing sector

15. Global reconstructed catches by major
ocean basins

16. Fisheries Subsidies
• Over USD 3.2 billion in annual fisheries subsidies were provided to
Indian Ocean fisheries in 2018. Just under USD 2 billion (61%) were
harmful, USD 1 billion (33%) were beneficial and about USD 190
million (6%) were ambiguous subsidies.
• Fisheries subsidies were provided by both IOR countries and DWF
countries, with the former accounting for approximately 92% (USD
2.9 billion) of total subsidies.
• Of the subsidies provided by IOR countries, 60% were harmful,
34% beneficial and 6% ambiguous, while 73% of the USD 260
million fisheries subsidies provided by DWF countries were
harmful, 24% were beneficial and 3% were ambiguous.
• More than 20% of IOR countries’ subsidies went towards fisheries
management, i.e., a beneficial subsidy type. Conversely, almost
35% of the DWF subsidies provided for Indian Ocean fishing were
in the form of harmful fuel subsidies

17. Biodiversity of the Indian Ocean
• Of Earth's 36 biodiversity hotspot nine (or 25%) are located on the margins of the Indian
Ocean.
• Madagascar's Elephant bird, Mauritius's Dodo bird and ostrich (from left to
right)Madagascar and the islands of the western Indian Ocean (Comoros, Réunion,
Mauritius, Rodrigues, the Seychelles, and Socotra), includes 13,000 (11,600 endemic)
species of plants; 313 (183) birds; reptiles 381 (367); 164 (97) freshwater fishes; 250 (249)
amphibians; and 200 (192) mammals
• Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (MPA); 8,100 (1,900 endemic) species of plants; 541 (0)
birds; 205 (36) reptiles; 73 (20) freshwater fishes; 73 (11) amphibians; and 197 (3) mammals.
• Mammalian megafauna once widespread in the MPA was driven to near extinction in the
early 20th century. Some species have been successfully recovered since then — the
population of white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) increased from less than 20
individuals in 1895 to more than 17,000 as of 2013. Other species still depend on fenced
areas and management programs, including black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis
minor), African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), cheetah (Acynonix jubatus), elephant (Loxodonta
africana), and lion (Panthera leo).
• Coastal forests of eastern Africa; 4,000 (1,750 endemic) species of plants; 636 (12) birds; 250
(54) reptiles; 219 (32) freshwater fishes; 95 (10) amphibians; and 236 (7) mammals.
• This biodiversity hotspot (and namesake ecoregion and "Endemic Bird Area") is a patchwork
of small forested areas, often with a unique assemblage of species within each, located
within 200 km (120 mi) from the coast and covering a total area of c.
6,200 km2 (2,400 sq mi). It also encompasses coastal islands, including Zanzibar and Pemba,
and Mafia.

18. Cont..
• Horn of Africa; 5,000 (2,750 endemic) species of
plants; 704 (25) birds; 284 (93) reptiles; 100 (10)
freshwater fishes; 30 (6) amphibians; and 189
(18) mammals.Coral reefs of the Maldives
• This area, one of the only two hotspots that are
entirely arid, includes the Ethiopian Highlands,
the East African Rift valley, the Socotra islands, as
well as some small islands in the Red Sea and
areas on the southern Arabic Peninsula. Endemic
and threatened mammals include
the dibatag (Ammodorcas clarkei) and Speke's
gazelle (Gazella spekei); the Somali wild
ass (Equus africanus somaliensis) and hamadryas
baboon (Papio hamadryas). It also contains many
reptiles. In Somalia, the centre of the
1,500,000 km2 (580,000 sq mi) hotspot, the
landscape is dominated by Acacia-
Commiphora deciduous bushland, but also
includes the Yeheb nut (Cordeauxia edulus) and
species discovered more recently such as the
Somali cyclamen (Cyclamen somalense), the only
cyclamen outside the Mediterranean.
Warsangli linnet (Carduelis johannis) is an
endemic bird found only in northern Somalia.
An unstable political situation and
mismanagement has resulted in overgrazing
which has produced one of the most
degraded hotspots where only c. 5 % of the
original habitat remains.
The Western Ghats–Sri Lanka; 5,916 (3,049
endemic) species of plants; 457 (35) birds;
265 (176) reptiles; 191 (139) freshwater
fishes; 204 (156) amphibians; and 143 (27)
mammals.
Encompassing the west coast of India and Sri
Lanka, until c. 10,000 years ago a landbridge
connected Sri Lanka to the Indian
Subcontinent, hence this region shares a
common community of species.
Indo-Burma; 13.500 (7,000 endemic) species
of plants; 1,277 (73) birds; 518 (204) reptiles;
1,262 (553) freshwater fishes; 328 (193)
amphibians; and 401 (100) mammals.
Aldabra giant tortoise from the islands of
the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles

19. Cont...
• Indo-Burma encompasses a series of mountain ranges, five of Asia's largest river systems,
and a wide range of habitats. The region has a long and complex geological history, and long
periods rising sea levels and glaciations have isolated ecosystems and thus promoted a high
degree of endemism and speciation. The region includes two centres of endemism:
the Annamite Mountains and the northern highlands on the China-Vietnam
border.[56] Several distinct floristic regions, the Indian, Malesian, Sino-Himalayan, and
Indochinese regions, meet in a unique way in Indo-Burma and the hotspot contains an
estimated 15,000–25,000 species of vascular plants, many of them endemic.
• Sundaland; 25,000 (15,000 endemic) species of plants; 771 (146) birds; 449 (244) reptiles;
950 (350) freshwater fishes; 258 (210) amphibians; and 397 (219) mammals.
• Sundaland encompasses 17,000 islands of which Borneo and Sumatra are the largest.
Endangered mammals include the Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, the proboscis
monkey, and the Javan and Sumatran rhinoceroses.[
• Wallacea; 10,000 (1,500 endemic) species of plants; 650 (265) birds; 222 (99) reptiles; 250
(50) freshwater fishes; 49 (33) amphibians; and 244 (144) mammals.
• Southwest Australia; 5,571 (2,948 endemic) species of plants; 285 (10) birds; 177 (27)
reptiles; 20 (10) freshwater fishes; 32 (22) amphibians; and 55 (13) mammals.
• Stretching from Shark Bay to Israelite Bay and isolated by the arid Nullarbor Plain, the
southwestern corner of Australia is a floristic region with a stable climate in which one of the
world's largest floral biodiversity and an 80% endemism has evolved. From June to
September it is an explosion of colours and the Wildflower Festival in Perth in September
attracts more than half a million visitors

20. Endangered and vulnerable
marine mammals and turtles
• 80% of the Indian Ocean is open
ocean and includes nine large
marine ecosystems: the Agulhas
Current, Somali Coastal
Current, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay
of Bengal, Gulf of Thailand, West
Central Australian Shelf, Northwest
Australian Shelf and Southwest
Australian Shelf. Coral reefs cover c.
200,000 km2 (77,000 sq mi). The
coasts of the Indian Ocean includes
beaches and intertidal zones
covering 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi)
and 246
larger estuaries. Upwelling areas
are small but important. The
hypersaline salterns in India covers
between 5,000–10,000 km2 (1,900–
3,900 sq mi) and species adapted
for this environment, such
as Artemia salina and Dunaliella
salina, are important to bird life.

21. The IORA Secretariat has identified the following six priority
pillars in the blue economy
• The IORA Secretariat has identified the following six
priority pillars in the blue economy as were
recommended by the Council of Ministers’ meeting
(COMM) and revised by the Secretariat in
consultation with Member States:
• Fisheries and Aquaculture
• Renewable Ocean Energy
• Seaports and Shipping
• Offshore Hydrocarbons and Seabed Minerals
• Marine Biotechnology, Research and Development
• Tourism

22. Major groups which are associated with the IOR are
• The major groups which are associated with the IOR are as
follows:
• The Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation
(IOR-ARC)
• The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)
• The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)The South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
• The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)Southern African
Development Community (SADC)
• East African Community (EAC)
• Indian Ocean Commission (COI)
• The Arab League, or League of Arab StatesThe Organisation
of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
• The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA)

23. Indian Ocean Rim Association for
Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC)
• 1- The Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC):
• - On 7 March 1997, IOR-ARC was established and a Charter was adopted
to promote economic and technical cooperation. It is headquartered in
Ebene, Mauritius.
• - The goal of this regional cooperation is to create a platform for trade,
socio-economic and cultural cooperation in the Indian Ocean Rim area.
• - The Indian Ocean Rim area is home to around two billion people.
• -It is the only pan-Indian ocean grouping.
• - It has 22 member nations-- Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius,
Somalia, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri
Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
• - It has 6 dialogue partners, namely, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, United Kingdom, United States, Turkey and South Korea.
• - The official language of the association is English

24. 2- The Indian Ocean Naval
Symposium (IONS):
• 2- The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS):
• - In February 2008, India initiated and launched a forum to increase the maritime cooperation
among the navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• - It aims at enhancing maritime security cooperation, promotes friendly relationships among the
member nations, sharing of information to overcome natural disasters.
• - It is similar to the Western Pacific Naval Symposium.
• - IONS has 24 member nations. These are:
• South Asian Littorals: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and United
Kingdom (British Indian Ocean Territory)
• West Asian Littorals: Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
• East African Littorals: France (Reunion), Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania.
• South-East Asian and Australian Littorals: Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore,
Thailand and Timor-Leste.
• - The forum has 8 observer nations, namely, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, the
Netherlands, Russia and Spain.

25. Cont...
• 3- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC):
• - On 25 May 1981, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was established and is headquartered in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• - The council was established in response to the Iran-Iraq war and aims at strengthening co-
operation in agriculture, trade, industry, investment and security among the member nations.
• - It has 6 member nations, namely, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United
Arab Emirates. These states are often referred to as 'the GCC states' or 'the Gulf countries'.
• - The official language of the council is Arabic.
• 4- The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC):
• - On 8 December 1985, SAARC was established and is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.
• - It is a regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia.
• - It aims at promoting economic development and regional integration.
• - It has 6 member nations-- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan,
and Sri Lanka.
• - It has 10 observer states, namely, Australia, China, the European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius,
Myanmar, South Korea, and the United States.
• - The official language of the organization is English.

26. Cont...
• 5- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):
• - On 8 August 1967, ASEAN was established and the Charter came into effect on 16 December 2008.
• - It is a regional intergovernmental organization and is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia.
• - It promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and
socio-cultural integration among its members and other countries in Asia.
• - It has 10 member nations-- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
and Vietnam.
• - The organization has 2 observer states, namely, Papua New Guinea, and Timor Leste.
• - The working language of the organization is English.
• 6- The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF):
• - It was established in the year 1994 and the inaugural meeting was held on 25 July 1994, in Bangkok.
• - It aims at fostering constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and
concern; and to make significant contributions to efforts towards confidence-building and preventive diplomacy in the
Asia-Pacific region.
• - The forum comprises of 27 countries (10 ASEAN member states and 17 Partner States)-- Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei
Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan,
Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea,
Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United States, and Viet Nam.
• 7- Southern African Development Community (SADC):
• - It was originally established as the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) on 1 April 1980.
• - On 17 August 1992, it was established as SADC and is headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana.
• - It is an inter-governmental organization and aims at enhancing socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as
political and security cooperation among 16 southern African countries.
• - The SADC Standing Maritime Committee aims at promoting regional peace and prosperity through maritime military
co-operation.
• - It has 16 member states: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
• - The working languages of the organization are: English, French, Portuguese, and Kiswahili.

27. Significance of the Indian Ocean for India
• 1- Strategic Location: India is strategically located at the centre of the
Indian Ocean and has a coastline of around 7,500 kilometres. It has
bagged infrastructure development rights for two islands in the region –
Agalega from Mauritius and Assumption from Seychelles.
• 2- Economic Significance: The area constitutes 95% of India's trade by
volume and 68% of trade by value. Approximately 80% of the country's
crude oil is imported by sea via the Indian Ocean.
• 3- Resources: India is heavily dependent on the resources of the Indian
Ocean (fisheries, minerals, etc.) and its maritime exports rose by 55% in
volume between 1962 and 2012.
• 4- Mineral resource extraction: India was granted exclusive rights to
explore the Central Indian Ocean in 1987 and has since then since explored
four million square miles. It has also established two mining sites.
• 5- Major Concerns: illegal fishing.
• India is enhancing its influence across the Indian Ocean Region, through
trade, investment, diplomacy, and strategic partnerships.
• It aims at emerging as the dominant Indian Ocean power, preventing China
from gaining a significant strategic foothold in the region.

28. Objective of the proposal is to minimize the waste generation on land, thereby
reducing the amount of plastic waste that enters the rivers and oceans
The overarching objective of the proposal is to minimize the waste generation on land, thereby
reducing the amount of plastic waste that enters the rivers and oceans. For this purpose, the
specific objectives of the proposal are to:
• Support projects on policy advice, capacity building, technological cooperation and
investments;
• Develop and implement strategies to reduce the amount of waste and thus plastic waste;
• Develop marine debris strategy framework directive that ranges from land based via
waterway-based (rivers) to sea-based (fishing activities/ghost net) pollution sources.
• Promote the international exchange of knowledge and experiences in waste management,
circular economy and marine litter;
• Initiate the implementation of pilot projects to develop the capacities of Member States;
• Enhance collaboration with the Dialogue Partners in combatting marine pollution;
• Explore the possibility of implementing an IORA Initiative to combat the marine plastic
contamination in the region; and
• Develop an IORA Framework on Combatting Marine Debris, supported by a list of projects
recommended by Member States.
• Exchange information and share knowledge to design and develop a tool for the monitoring
of marine debris and its impact to the ocean.
• Strengthen the cooperation and community development in a reuse-reduce-recycle initiative

29. References
• https://www.iora.int/en/priorities-focus-
areas/blue-economy