Under its latest action plan to mine tuna in the biodiversity-rich waters of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, which accounts for one third of india's tuna, mpeda will make a Rs. 14 crore investment to help convert more than 100 fishing vessels that operate in the region into tuna long-liners. Tuna fishing involves the use of long fishing lines that can reach a depth of up to 50 m. The central government is also considering setting up an international air cargo terminal in Port Blair to enable easy export of tuna to asian markets such as Japan and China. According to the WWF, which launched a global tuna conservation initiative along with traffic in 2004, “tuna fishing alters entire ecosystems: populations of top predators are being depleted and large volumes of bycatch of non-target species are caught, threatening the very survival of species such as leatherback turtles and sharks, which can be caught on long-lines."
February 2008
