Environment
Indian Ocean
Climate
northeast monsoon (December through April), southwest monsoon (June through October); tropical cyclones typically form during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and in January/February in the southern Indian Ocean
Marine fisheries
the Indian Ocean fisheries rank as the third most significant globally, contributing 15.5%, equivalent to 12,220,000 mt of the worldwide catch in 2020; notable species in these waters include tuna, small pelagic fish, and shrimp; the Food and Agriculture Organization has identified two fishing regions within the Indian Ocean:
Eastern Indian Ocean region (Region 57) stands as the most critical and the fifth-largest fishing area in the world, accounting for 8.4%, or 6,590,000 mt, of the global catch in 2020; this region includes waters situated north of 55º South latitude and east of 80º East longitude, comprising the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, with primary contributors being India (2,362,481 mt), Indonesia (1,940,558 mt), Burma (1,114,777 mt), Bangladesh (877,837 mt), and Sri Lanka (373,369 mt); key catches consist of shad, skipjack tuna, mackerel, shrimp, and sardinellas
Western Indian Ocean region (Region 51) is recognized as the sixth-largest fishing region globally, yielding over 7.1% or 5,630,000 mt of the total catch in 2020; this area includes waters located north of 40º South latitude and west of 80º East longitude, covering the western Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea, along with the coastal waters of eastern Africa and Madagascar, the southern Arabian Peninsula, and western India; leading producers in this region are India (2,207,125 mt), Oman (580,048 mt), Pakistan (341,730 mt), and Mozambique (274,791 mt); major catches include skipjack and yellowfin tuna, mackerel, sardines, shrimp, and cephalopodsRegional fisheries bodies: Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna, Regional Commission for Fisheries (Persian Gulf/Gulf of Oman), Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Center, Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission, South Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement
Environmental issues
marine pollution arising from ocean dumping, inadequate waste disposal, and oil spills; oil contamination present in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea; risks to coral reefs; reduction of biodiversity; threatened marine species