Inland Fisheries

5.2.2.1 Fish and Fisheries

Among the estuaries of India, Hooghly-Matlah estuarine system provides one of the richest grounds for fishery in India. About 130 species of fishes and 30 species of prawns and crabs are found in the commercial catches obtained from the Sunderbans area. Nearly 16,000 fishermen live in different zones of the estuary, and fishing activity goes on intensively throughout the year and the total annual catch amounts to 20,000 – 26,0000 tonnes.The fish fauna of the Hooghly-Matlah is classified into residents and transients or migrants.