Ipsa Tripathy
Bhubaneswar: Ask fishers at Paradip or Dhamra what has changed in the sea, and many will describe a familiar problem. Some fish arrive earlier than expected, others appear later in the season, and certain varieties that once provided a reliable catch have become increasingly difficult to find. What was once a predictable occupation is becoming harder to plan around. Recent official figures suggest that these concerns are reflected in Odisha’s marine fish landings, which have declined even as the national catch has increased.
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), which monitors marine fish landings in India, reported that the country’s total marine fish catch rose by around 3 per cent in 2025 to 3.57 million tonnes. Odisha moved in the opposite direction. The state’s estimated marine fish landings fell to 1.31 lakh tonnes, a decline of 15 per cent compared with the previous year.
CMFRI attributed part of the decline to Cyclone Montha, which disrupted fishing activity in southern Odisha in late October 2025. Andhra Pradesh also recorded a fall of around 13 per cent, with cyclone-related disruption contributing to the decline there. However, Odisha’s lower landings were not confined to a single season. The state’s catch declined across all four quarters of 2025.
The distribution of the catch is also uneven. Balasore accounted for around 56 per cent of Odisha’s total marine landings, while Jagatsinghpur contributed another 21 per cent. The composition of the catch has changed as well. Anchovies became the state’s leading marine fish resource in 2025, increasing by 37 per cent to their highest recorded level in a decade. Lesser sardines, meanwhile, declined by approximately 47 per cent, falling from the second-largest resource to fifth place.
For fishers, these changes are not simply a matter of statistics. They affect how far boats must travel, how much fuel they consume and whether a fishing trip is likely to bring enough income to justify the effort.
Hilsa offers one of the clearest examples of this uncertainty. It remains one of Odisha’s most valued fish, but fishers say it has become increasingly difficult to find in the quantities they remember. It has not disappeared entirely, yet its availability has become less reliable and its price has risen sharply.
The decline has been reported over several years. In one particularly poor season, hilsa landings around Paradip and neighbouring Kendrapara reportedly fell from approximately 625 tonnes in the previous year to around 50 tonnes. Prices in Paradip markets have reached ₹800 to ₹1,500 per kilogram. The change is also noticeable around the Mahanadi river mouth. Hilsa was once more commonly caught in the river, but fishers now report that it is difficult to find near Paradip and that they have to travel further towards Baliplot and the port area.
Several factors may be contributing to the decline. Fishers frequently point to industrial pollution, particularly around Paradip, where industries and port-related activities have expanded over the years. They believe that waste entering rivers and coastal waters has affected fish populations. Pollution is a legitimate concern, although establishing its precise contribution to declining hilsa catches requires sustained scientific monitoring.
Fishing practices may also be affecting the population. Fine-mesh gill nets can capture juvenile fish before they have had an opportunity to reproduce. When young fish are removed in large numbers, the population’s ability to replenish itself can be weakened. Enforcement of mesh-size regulations is therefore important for protecting fish stocks.
Rainfall and river conditions also influence hilsa availability. The fish is known to migrate between marine and freshwater environments, and its movement towards river mouths is influenced by seasonal conditions. In the Mahanadi system, hilsa catches have often increased during the monsoon, particularly when low-pressure systems bring substantial rainfall. When rainfall is weak or irregular, the timing and availability of the fish can change. This helps explain why fishers sometimes experience a good season after several disappointing ones.
The national figures underline how much marine hilsa contributes to the overall catch. CMFRI recorded approximately 13,429 tonnes of marine hilsa landings across India in 2025. For Odisha’s fishers, however, the local decline matters more directly because it affects a species that has long been an important part of the state’s coastal fishing economy.
Beyond individual species, changes in sea temperature are altering the conditions in which marine life survives. The Bay of Bengal is experiencing marine heatwaves, periods when sea surface temperatures remain unusually high for an extended time. A study examining the Bay between 1982 and 2021 found an average of three marine heatwave events each year, with their frequency increasing by approximately 1.11 events per decade.
More recent research has raised further concerns. A 2025 study published in Nature Climate Change found that the summers of 2023 and 2024 experienced nearly 3.5 times as many marine heatwave days as any earlier year in the record examined. During the summer of 2023, a marine heatwave affected the northern Bay of Bengal, including waters off Odisha’s coast.
These prolonged periods of unusually warm water can affect marine ecosystems in several ways. Fish are sensitive to temperature, and many species have preferred ranges within which they feed, grow and reproduce. When water becomes too warm, they may move towards deeper or cooler areas. Changes in temperature can also affect plankton, the small organisms that form the foundation of many marine food chains.
For fishing communities, this can mean that familiar fishing grounds no longer produce the same catch. Species such as sardines and mackerel may shift their distribution in search of suitable temperatures. Some fish move further offshore or towards cooler waters, placing them beyond the reach of smaller traditional boats.
The changing distribution of oil sardines offers an example of how marine species respond to warming conditions. The fish was historically associated with waters along India’s southwestern coast, particularly the Malabar region. Its distribution has expanded northwards over time, although changes in fishing pressure, ocean conditions and food availability also influence where it is found. Such shifts show why fishers can no longer assume that the same species will remain available in the same places throughout the year.
Cyclones create another form of disruption. Their impact on fishing communities extends well beyond the days when a storm crosses the coast. Strong winds and rough seas force boats to remain ashore, reducing the number of fishing days. Storms can also damage boats, nets, engines and landing facilities, creating expenses that many small-scale fishers struggle to meet.
CMFRI directly linked Odisha’s 15 per cent decline in marine landings in 2025 partly to the disruption caused by Cyclone Montha. More recently, Cyclones Arnab and Murasu also forced fishing boats to remain ashore during late October and early November. This is an important period for the fishing economy, as the October-to-December quarter generally contributes a substantial share of India’s annual marine catch. Nationally, this period accounts for around 36 per cent of landings.
The cumulative effect of storms can be particularly difficult for small fishing households. A few lost days may be manageable, but repeated interruptions can affect loan repayments, household spending and the ability to maintain fishing equipment. Fishers in neighbouring West Bengal have reported losing 40 to 50 fishing days annually to bad weather, in addition to the official monsoon fishing ban. Odisha’s fishing communities face their own seasonal restrictions, including the seven-month ban around important olive ridley turtle nesting areas that began on November 1.
The changing catch is also exposing differences between large and small fishing operations. Nationally, CMFRI’s 2025 figures showed that landings by large mechanised boats increased by 11 per cent, while those by motorised boats fell by 22 per cent and non-motorised boats declined by 6 per cent.
The difference in what these boats can bring home is considerable. A large mechanised trawler recorded an average catch of around 3,426 kg per trip, compared with 148 kg for a motorised boat and just 37 kg for a non-motorised boat. These figures reflect differences in capacity and fishing methods, but they also point to a growing challenge for traditional fishers. When fish move further offshore or become less predictable, larger vessels with greater range and equipment have an advantage.
For small-scale fishers, adapting to these changes is not straightforward. Travelling further requires more fuel, better equipment and greater financial investment. Many households cannot afford these costs. In Gandakipur, around 20 km from Paradip, trawler owner Hiranya Behera has described marine fishing as increasingly resembling a gamble. The uncertainty of each trip makes it difficult to plan household finances or invest in repairs.
The response cannot be limited to asking fishers to travel further or change their equipment. It requires better information about the changing marine environment and policies that recognise the different needs of fishing communities.
Marine heatwave forecasts already issued by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services could be incorporated more directly into everyday fishing advisories. Warnings about unusually warm waters, rough seas and changing weather conditions would help fishers make better decisions about when and where to operate. Such information would be particularly useful if it reached traditional fishing communities in local languages and through channels they regularly use.
Protecting juvenile fish is equally important. Stronger enforcement of existing net-mesh regulations could reduce the capture of young fish before they reproduce. Better monitoring of fishing activity would also help prevent excessive pressure on already stressed stocks.
Pollution control must remain part of the response. Industrial discharge entering rivers and coastal waters, particularly around important fishing grounds such as the Mahanadi mouth, needs regular monitoring and effective enforcement. Healthy coastal ecosystems are essential not only for fish populations but also for the communities that depend on them.
Finally, traditional fishing communities need support as the distribution of fish changes. Access to weather information, affordable equipment, insurance, alternative income opportunities and fair market arrangements can help smaller operators manage periods of poor catch. Conservation and climate adaptation policies must include these communities rather than treating them as an afterthought.
The sea off Odisha is changing, and the latest figures suggest that fishers are already feeling the effects. Not every decline can be explained by warming waters or climate change alone. Cyclones, fishing pressure, pollution, seasonal variation and changes in the marine ecosystem all influence the catch. Understanding how these factors interact will require long-term monitoring and reliable data.
For Odisha’s fishing families, however, the question is immediate. They need to know where the fish are going, how long the changes will continue and whether they can afford to adapt. The challenge is no longer simply to catch enough fish. It is to protect the marine ecosystem while ensuring that the people who depend on it can continue to earn a living.