Total Allowable Catch:
A recent dispute involving the US and Russia highlighted the geopolitical and environmental implications of TAC enforcement.
- Total Allowable Catch (TAC) refers to the maximum quantity of a particular fish species that can be legally harvested from a specific water body, such as oceans, seas, or lakes, within a defined period.
- It is a regulatory measure adopted by national governments and international fisheries management agencies to ensure the sustainable exploitation of marine resources.
- TAC ensures the long-term sustainability of fish stocks by maintaining a minimum viable population size that can replenish naturally each year.
- In the absence of TAC, overfishing can occur, depleting fish populations to the extent that they are unable to recover, thus threatening marine biodiversity, ecosystem balance and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
- It acts as a scientific tool for preventing resource collapse, especially in commercially valuable species.
- India implements a seasonal fishing ban, which functions as a TAC equivalent of zero for a specified duration to conserve fish stocks during the breeding season.
- The ban is enforced in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for 61 days annually:
- East Coast: From April 15 to June 14
- West Coast: From June 1 to July 31
- This restriction aims to protect spawning fish and support regeneration of marine life during peak monsoon when fish reproduce in large numbers
