Role of Remote Sensing in Potential Fishing Zone Forecast

Forecasting of Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) is considered as economically and environmentally significant towards ensuring profitable base of economy and planning for sustenance of existing fishing pool. Changes in environmental conditions affect the distribution, abundance and availability of fish. The traditional sampling approaches for PFZ identification using boats and vessels are not only costly and time consuming but practically absurd considering the vastness of seas and oceans. In this chapter importance of alternative but effective methods of airborne and satellite remote sensing has been given. The chapter elucidates the factors for PFZ identification like thermal condition in sea controlling its thermal circulation, chlorophyll-a concentration estimated from ocean color dynamics, etc. Tools/system to prepare PFZ advisories and also the platforms for dissemination of the same, have been illustrated based on Indian scenario.