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Marine Resources UPSC | Resources | Geography of India

 Marine resources are also called blue resources. India has a long coastline of about 7516 km including the island coastline. As per the law of the sea, India has an exclusive right on marine resources up to 200 nautical miles, that total comprises 21 lakh square km of marine areas.

The following are marine resources:

  • Marine Food
  • Marine Minerals 
  • Marine Fossil Fuels
  • Marine Salt
  • Marine Renewable Energy

Marine food:

  • The major source of Marine food is Fish.
  • As per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report, In 2018, India is in 4th position in marine fish production after China, Indonesia, and Peru.
  • Gujarat states topped in terms of marine fish production.
  • Due to the unavailability of technology and unorganized fisher, beyond the Exclusive economic zone are generally unexploited.




Marine Minerals:

  • Polymetallic nodules comprise copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, iron, and rare earth. It is Potato shaped. It is key to making modern gadgets from smartphones to hybrid cars.
  • Copper, nickel, and Cobalt are used for clean power generation for making batteries.
  • International Seabed Authority ( ISA) comes under UNCLOS( U.N Convention on Law of Sea) allowing India 75000 square km or 2% of the country's size to explore.
  • Minerals such as Seawater Magnesia, Pelagic deposits
  • Huge Thorium deposits are found in Kerala and Tamil Nadu sand on beaches

Marine Salt:

  • Gujarat's highest producer, produce 70% of India's salt. Rajasthan ( from salt lakes) and Tamil Nadu are the other salts-producing states.
  • India is the third-largest salt producer country after China, the USA.
Marine Fossil Energy resources

  • Bombay High is a source of Petroleum fossil fuel
  • Huge deposits of Natural gas are found in Kachchh, the deltaic region of Krishna, and Cauvery.
Marine Renewable Energy:
  • Alternative energy sources such as:
  • The great potential of Offshore wind energy in coastal areas and kinetic energy from monsoon, land, and sea breeze can be used to convert electrical energy.
  • Western coastal plains are great potential for wave energy generation.
  • The Gulf of Kachchh and Sundarbans delta is great potential for tidal energy generation.

Try to solve the following question:

  • Identify the importance of biotic resource regions of India and highlight their problems. ( UPSC 2016,250 words, 20 marks)
  • Evaluate the impact of technology on resource utilization in India. (UPSC 2016, 200 words, 15 marks)
  •  Marine resources are economically very significant. Discuss citing suitable examples. (UPSC-2020, 10 Marks, 150 words)
  •  Describe the potential marine energy resources with reference to their benefits, harvestability, and environmental impacts. (UPSC 2018, 250 words, 20 marks)

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