India, Bengala gulf: women on the beach are working the fishes. Great potential exists for expanding the nation's fishing industry. India's exclusive economic zone, stretching 200 nautical miles (370 km) into the Indian Ocean, encompasses more than 2 million square kilometers. In the mid-1980s, only about 33 percent of that area was being exploited. The potential annual catch from the area has been estimated at 4.5 million tons. Indian fish production has increased more than fivefold since India's independence.
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