Answer: Because India has a long coastline, large rivers and a big demand for fish as food.
- India has a coastline of over 6100 km, a wide continental shelf and many rivers, lakes and ponds, which give both marine and inland fishing.
- Fishing provides employment to lakhs of people and income to coastal and inland fisher families.
- Fish is a cheap and nutritious food which adds protein to the diet of a large population.
- Fish and fish products earn foreign exchange and support related industries such as boat-building, net-making and fish processing.