Skipjack Tuna Fishing Lakshadweep Coral Atoll Tradition

Tuna pole-and-line fishing is the primary livelihood of the Muslim fishing communities of Lakshadweep, the coral atoll archipelago in the Arabian Sea. Lakshadweep fishermen have practised skipjack tuna fishing on the pole-and-line method for generations: baitfish (mainly anchovies and sardines) are caught at dawn, live bait is sprayed on the water from the stern to attract schooling skipjack, and the fish are pulled aboard with barbless hooks on heavy lines. The pole-and-line method is the most sustainable tuna fishing technique: only mature schooling fish are caught, bycatch is negligible, and no nets or longlines are used. Lakshadweep tuna is among the most sustainably caught tuna in the world and has attracted fair trade and Marine Stewardship Council certification interest. Dried tuna (masmin, the Maldivian-style dried tuna cake) is the traditional preserved protein of Lakshadweep used in curry and as a trade commodity with the Maldives. Fresh and chilled skipjack and yellowfin tuna from Lakshadweep is increasingly exported by air freight to the Japanese sashimi market and to mainland Indian premium seafood buyers. Cooperative fisheries societies manage boat ownership, ice supply, and buyer connections for Lakshadweep tuna fishing communities.