Pole-and-line tuna fishing, found in India only in Lakshadweep, and a catch that has grown from 500 tonnes to 16,891 tonnes

State Focus Lakshadweep Fisheries Agriculture & Rural Economy & Banking

Pole-and-line tuna fishing, found in India only in Lakshadweep, and a catch that has grown from 500 tonnes to 16,891 tonnes

Background

Lakshadweep's five-year plan to raise tuna output to 50,000 tonnes a year rests on the fishery described on the Union Territory's own Department of Fisheries page.
The Department of Fisheries was set up in 1959, and tuna is the primary fishery resource of the islands.
Pole-and-line tuna fishing, which the department says exists only in Lakshadweep within India, is the main method.
Output rose from about 500 tonnes in the 1950s to 16,891 metric tonnes in 2024-25.
Anchored Fish Aggregating Devices in selected territorial waters attract fish, save fuel, cut scouting time and improve safety.
Approval has been granted to procure 10 deep-sea fishing vessels, and 32 fish collection vessels from other States may buy directly from local fishermen.
The department lists 8 ice plants of 60 MT capacity, 3 cold storages of 15 MT and 300 insulated ice boxes of 150 litres each.

Department of Fisheries set up: 1959 Production in 2024-25: 16,891 metric tonnes Production in the 1950s: about 500 tonnes Ice plants: 8, of 60 MT capacity

Why it matters for exams: 'Pole-and-line fishing is practised in which Indian territory?' is a classic one-line question, and the 1959 founding year and the FAD idea are both askable.

Kerala PSCUPSC

17 October 2026 Source: Department of Fisheries, Union Territory of Lakshadweep

In plain words

FAD Fish Aggregating Device — A floating structure anchored at sea that gathers fish around it, so boats need not search for shoals.