Fisheries sector plays an important role in the Indian economy. It contributes to the national income, exports, food and nutritional security as well as employment generation. Fisheries sector is recognized as the ‘Sunrise Sector’ and is instrumental in sustaining livelihoods of around 30 million people in India particularly that of the marginalized and vulnerable communities.
During the last 10 years, the Government of India (GoI) has taken several initiatives for enhancing production and productivity of fisheries, as a result of these initiatives the total (inland and marine) fish production has increased to 175.45 lakh tonnes in FY 2022-23 from 95.79 lakh tonnes fish production in FY 2013-14. The inland fisheries and aquaculture production has increased to 131.13 lakh tonnes during FY 2022-23 from 61.36 lakh tonnes in FY 2013-14 registering a growth of 114%. Similarly, the Indian seafood exports stood at Rs 60,523.89 crore during FY 2023-24 exhibiting an increase of more than double from Rs 30,213 crore in FY 2013-14.
Key Initiatives undertaken by the Department during the year
Seaweed & Pearl and Ornamental Fisheries
i. First National Conference on Promotion of Seaweed Cultivation was held at Kutch, Gujarat on 27th Jan 2024. Seaweed cultivation is an alternate for employment generation of seaweed products as it diversifies marine production and its opportunities for enhancing fish farmer income. A Pilot project of Kori Creek was notified for seaweed cultivation which will help boost seaweed cultivation.
ii. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aims to increase seaweed production of the country over 1.12 million tonnes by 2025. Indian seaweed production is mostly depended upon culture of Kappaphycus alvarezii and other few native varieties. Over-dependence on K. alvarezii, which is losing its vigour of fast growth and became disease-prone over the years. This calls for the import of new varieties and strains of seaweeds to improve production and productivity. Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying hereby notified the guidelines on 31st October 2024, namely ‘The guidelines for import of live seaweeds into India’ to strengthen the exports and import of Seaweed.
iii. The cluster-based approach enhances competitiveness and efficiency by uniting geographically connected enterprises of all sizes—micro, small, medium, and large—across the entire value chain, from production to exports. This collaborative model improves financial viability through strong linkages, addresses value chain gaps, and creates new business opportunities and livelihoods. The Department of Fisheries released the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Production and Processing Clusters under the Fisheries Cluster Development Program and announced the establishment of three specialized fisheries production and processing clusters dedicated to Seaweed cultivation in Lakshadweep. These clusters aim to promote collectivisation, collaboration and innovation within these niche sectors, enhancing both production and market reach.
iv. The Department of Fisheries has notified for establishing a Mandapam Regional Centre of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) as a Centre of Excellence for promoting seaweed farming and research. Centre of Excellence will serve as a national hub for innovation and development in seaweed cultivation, focusing on refining farming techniques, establishing a seed bank, and ensuring sustainable practices. it aims to benefit 20,000 seaweed farmers, improve yields, and create approximately 5,000 jobs, enhancing India’s global seaweed industry presence.
v. The Department of Fisheries launched standard operating procedure for Pearl cultivation in Hazaribagh, Ornamental fisheries in Madurai along with seaweed cluster in Lakshadweep.
vi. Nucleus Breeding Centres for both marine and inland species was notified by the Department of Fisheries for enhancing seed quality through genetic enhancement of economically important species. Department of Fisheries has designated the ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, as the Nodal Institute for establishing NBCs for freshwater species and Regional Centre of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) in Mandapam, Tamil Nadu, as the Nodal Institute for NBCs focused on marine fish species. Funded by ongoing schemes, the NBCs will enhance broodstock management, produce high-quality seeds, and create 100 jobs, with the current season’s supply including 60 lakh Jayanti Rohu, 20 lakh Amrit Catla, and 2 lakh GI-Scampi.
Support to Fisheries Startups and Fisheries Farmer Producer Organization (FFPO)
vii. Establishment of 3 Incubation Centres for promoting at least 100 fisheries start-ups, cooperatives, FPOs, and SHGs was also notified by the Department. The centres will be hosted at premier institutions like the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) in Hyderabad, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE) in Mumbai, and ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) in Kochi.
viii. The Department of Fisheries signed first MoU with ONDC towards fulfilment of Digital India initiative. Till Date 6 FFPO have been onboarded on ONDC. Objective of the collaboration is to provide a digital platform and empower all stakeholders including traditional fishermen, fish farmers producer organization, entrepreneurs from fisheries sector to buy and sell their products through e-market place. Additionally, the booklet “From Catch to Commerce, Increasing Market Access through Digital Transformation” was released.
ix. PMMSY supports Entrepreneurship model for fisheries and Aquaculture for entrepreneurs including fisheries graduates with assistance up to Rs1.3 crore. The entrepreneurship model supports integrated business models, technology infusion projects, promotion of hygienic fish marketing by establishment of kish kiosks, development of recreational fisheries, promotion of group activities etc. Till Date 39 projects have been sanctioned.
Initiatives and Projects
x. The Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act 2005 (under the administrative control of Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India), was amended in 2023, to bring diverse and environmentally friendly practices like cage culture, seaweed culture, and marine ornamental fish culture under its ambit, removes ambiguity in the CRZ notification, replaces imprisonment provisions, facilitating Ease of Doing Business through simplified and streamlined procedures.
xi. The Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated and laid the foundation of fisheries projects worth Rs. 1200 crore under PMMSY and FIDF.
xii. The Department of Fisheries, MoFAH&D, has rolled out a special component with outlay of Rs. 364 crore under PMMSY to ensure safety and security of fishers while at sea by providing 1 lakh fishing vessels with indigenously developed transponders free of cost to enable two-way communication for fishers for sending alerts during any emergency and cyclones and information on potential fishing zones.
xiii. On the occasion of PMMSY 4th Anniversary on 12th September 2024, the Department of Fisheries launched the NFDP (National Fisheries Development Program) Portal, which will serve as a central hub for registry of fisheries’ stakeholders, information, services, and support related to fisheries, and the released the PM-MKSSY Operational Guidelines. NFDP has been created under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), a sub scheme under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and will provide digital identities to various stakeholders by creating a registry of fish workers and enterprises engaged in the fisheries value chain across the country. Various benefits such as institutional credit, performance grants, aquaculture insurance etc. can be availed through NFDP. A total of 12,64,079 registrations have been done on the NFDP portal till date.
xiv. Booklet on ‘Promotion of Indigenous Species’ and ‘Conservation of State Fish’ was released by the department on the occasion of PMMSY 4th Anniversary. Out of the 36 States/UTs, 22 have either adopted or declared their state fish, 3 have declared State aquatic animal and UTs of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have declared their state animal, which are marine species.
xv. The Department of Fisheries successfully inaugurated the integration of the Kisan Credit Card Fisheries scheme today onto the Jan Samarth Portal. It signifies a monumental leap towards providing a digital platform for fish farmers and stakeholders in the fisheries sector
xvi. On the occasion of Fisheries Summer Meet 2024 on July 12th 2024, a total of 321 impactful projects under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with an outlay of Rs.114 Crore, covering 19 State/UTs were virtually inaugurated by Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj Shri Rajeev Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh.
xvii. The Department of Fisheries signed a MoU with the Central Institute of Fisheries Education (ICAR-CIFE) and the Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management (VAMNICOM) for realization of the vision of establishment of 2 lakh PACS, Dairy and Fishery Cooperatives in every Panchayat. The MoU aims to bolster the synergies between ICAR-CIFE and VAMNICOM, paving the way for enhanced cooperative management practices in fisheries.
xviii. The guidelines for developing 100 coastal villages across coastal States and Union Territories into Climate Resilient Coastal Fishermen Villages (CRCFVs) was released. With an allocation of Rs. 200 crore, this initiative will focus on sustainable fishing, infrastructure improvement, and climate-smart livelihoods to ensure food security and socio-economic stability for fishing communities amid changing environmental conditions. Detailed surveys and gap analyses by the Central Committee of Climate Resilient Coastal Fishermen Village (CCCRCFV) guided the selection of need-based facilities, including common facilities like fish drying yards, processing centers, fish markets, and emergency rescue facilities. The program also promotes climate-resilient fisheries through initiatives such as seaweed cultivation farms, artificial reefs, and the promotion of green fuel
xix. In a step towards integrating technology in fisheries, a Pilot Study worth Rs 1.16 Cr for transportation of Fish and Fish Products with payload up to 100Kg app to a range of 10Km was released. This study aims to explore the potential of drones in monitoring and managing inland fisheries, improving efficiency and sustainability.
xx. Priority Projects with an outlay of Rs. 721.63 crore were announced by the Department of Fisheries that included development of five Integrated Aqua parks in states of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura and Nagaland to support holistic aquaculture growth, establishment of two World-Class Fish Markets in states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam for enhancing market access, development of three Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbors in States/UTs of Gujarat, Puducherry and Daman & Diu for improving post-harvest management, and 800 hectares of saline area and Integrated Fish Farming in States Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab for promoting aquaculture and integrated fish farming.
xxi. In a strategic move to propel the fisheries and aquaculture sector towards accelerated growth and modernization, the Government of India has approved the establishment of five Integrated Aqua Parks (IAPs) under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Recognizing the need for comprehensive interventions to address existing gaps in the fisheries value chain, these Aqua Parks are set to revolutionize the sector by offering integrated solutions that enhance operational efficiency, reduce wastage, and improve income for fish farmers and other stakeholders. The Government is investing ₹179.81 crores in five integrated aqua parks to enhance the fisheries value chain, aiming to optimize production, create 1,400 direct and 2,400 indirect jobs, and minimize waste.
xxii. The Department of Fisheries launched the “Rangeen Machhli” mobile app at ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar. Developed by ICAR-CIFA with support from the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the app is designed to meet the growing needs of the ornamental fisheries sector, providing crucial knowledge resources for hobbyists, aquarium shop owners, and fish farmers.
xxiii. The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAH&D) celebrated the World Fisheries Day 2024 with the theme India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Small-Scale and Sustainable Fisheries, on 21st November 2024, at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi. Ms. Vani Rao, Indian Ambassador to Italy, Rome, Mr. Manuel Barange, ADG and Director Fisheries Division FAO also graced the event. 54 embassy representatives and high commissions participated in the event. On the occasion of world fisheries Day 2024 the Department of Fisheries Launched series of landmark initiatives and projects as below:
· Launch of 5th Marine Fisheries Census for data-driven policymaking,
· The National Plan of Action on Sharks for sustainable shark management and India’s endorsement to the Regional Plan of Action on IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) Fishing to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Bay of Bengal Region jointly in cooperation with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives,
· The International Maritime Organisation-Food and Agricultural Organisation (IMO-FAO) GloLitter Partnership Project to combat marine plastic litter, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for retrofitted LPG kits to promote energy-efficient, low-cost marine fishing fuels.
· The New Single Window System (NSWS) by the Coastal Aquaculture Authority was launched to enable online registration of coastal aquaculture farms.
· A signed MoU was also exchanged to implement a framework for the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), harnessing carbon-sequestering practices in the sector.
Initiatives for strengthening Fish and Seafood Exports
xxiv. The Department of Fisheries organized a Stakeholder Consultation on Fisheries Export Promotion with focus on strengthening shrimp farming & value chain in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This initiative has set a vision to transform the country into an International Processing Hub, capitalizing and digitalizing the fisheries sector
xxv. Department of Fisheries Notified Development of Tuna Cluster in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The cluster-based approach enhances competitiveness and efficiency by uniting geographically connected enterprises of all sizes—micro, small, medium, and large—across the entire value chain, from production to exports. The development of tuna cluster also aims at promoting exports of high value species.
xxvi. Hon’ble Union minister, Department of Fisheries, MoFAH&D, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh along with Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Union minister, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry chaired a stakeholder consultation for discussion on ways to strengthen coordination between the Department of Fisheries and the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA). A greater synergy between them will significantly benefit India’s fishing community and further boost the countries marine exports.
Schemes and Programs
During the last ten years, Government of India has taken several initiatives for the development of fisheries and aquaculture in the country including the enhancement of fish production and productivity. In the year 2015-16,
i. Blue Revolution Scheme: The Government of India launched the Centrally Sponsored Blue Revolution Scheme (CSS-BR) for Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries. The BR Scheme with its multi-dimensional activities implemented for 5 years from 2015-16 to 2019-20 has infused an investment of about Rs 5000 crore into the fisheries sector.
· ii. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched in the year 2020-21 with an estimated investment of Rs. 20,050 crore for implementation during a period of 5 years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all States/Union Territories. During the last four years and the current financial year, projects worth Rs. 20864.29 crore with Central share of Rs. 8871.42 crore have been approved for the States/UTs and other implementing agencies under PMMSY. Major projects approved under PMMSY include fishing harbours, fish landing centres, reservoir cage culture, brackish and freshwater aquaculture, fishers’ welfare, post-harvest infrastructure facilities, seaweed, ornamental and cold-water fisheries etc.
Physical Achievements under PMMSY (since 2020-21 till date)
· Inland Fisheries: 52,058 Nos of cages, 23285.06 hectares of pond area for inland aquaculture, 12,081 Re-circulatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS), 4,205 Biofloc units, 3159.31 hectares of pond area for Inland Saline-alkaline culture, 890 fish and 5 scampi hatcheries, 560.7 hectares pens in reservoirs and other water-bodies and 25 brood banks have been approved.
· Marine Fisheries: 2,259 Bio-toilets in mechanized fishing vessels, 1,525 of open sea cage for fish culture,1,338 up-gradation of existing fishing vessels, 1,580.86 hectares of pond area for brackish water aquaculture, 480 deep sea fishing vessel, 17 brackish water hatcheries and 5 Small Marine finfish hatcheries have been approved.
· Fishermen Welfare: 6,706 replacement boats and nets for fishermen, livelihood and nutritional support for 5,94,538 fishers’ families during fishing ban/lean period and 102 extension and support services (Matsya Seva Kendras) have been approved.
· Fisheries Infrastructure: 27,189 units of fish transportation facilities namely motorcycles (10,924), bicycles with ice box (9,412), auto rickshaws (3,860), insulated trucks (1,377), live fish vending centres (1,243), fish feed mill/plants (1091), ice plant/cold storages (634) and refrigerated vehicles (373). Additionally, 6,733 total units of fish retail markets (188) and fish kiosks including ornamental kiosks (6,896) and 128 value added enterprise units have been sanctioned.
· Aquatic Health Management: 19 disease diagnostic centres and quality testing labs, 31 mobile centres and testing labs and 6 aquatic referral labs have been approved.
· Ornamental Fisheries: 2,465 ornamental fish rearing units and 207 Integrated Ornamental fish units (breeding and rearing) have been approved.
· Seaweed Cultivation: 47,245 rafts and 65,480 monoline tubes have been net approved.
· Development of Northeast Regions: Total Project cost of Rs 1722.79 crore have been approved with a central share of Rs 980.40 crore. This includes 7063.29 ha Construction of new ponds, 5063.11 ha area for Integrated Fish Farming, 644 Ornamental Fisheries units, 470 Biofloc units, 231 hatcheries, 148 Re-circulatory Aquaculture System (RAS) and 140 feed mills have been approved.
· Outreach Activities: 155 Lakh activities by DoF NFDB, WFFD, Fish Festivals, Melas, expos, conference etc., 12.63 Lakh training and capacity building programmes, 10.88 Lakh distribution of success stories, pamphlets, Brochures, booklets and outreach campaigns etc.
· Other Important Activities: 2,494 Sagar Mitras and 102 Matsya Seva Kendras approved.
iii. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah Yojana (PMMKSSY): “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), as a Sub-scheme under the ongoing Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for a period of four years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27 at an estimated outlay of ₹6000 was launched on the occasion of 4th Anniversary of PMMSY on September 11th, 2024. To make the fisheries sector resilient and incentivize adoption of efficiencies in fisheries value chain, the Department is implementing a Central Sector Sub-scheme the “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah Yojana (PMMKSSY)” under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with an investment of Rs. 6000 crore. PMMKSSY aims at formalization of the fisheries sector, incentivizing the aquaculture insurance, fisheries micro and small enterprises value chain efficiency, adoption of safety and quality system for safe fish production etc.
Objectives:
· Gradual formalization of the unorganized fisheries sector including creation of work based digital identities for service delivery.
· Facilitating access to institutional finance including working capital to expand their operations.
· One-time incentive for buying aquaculture insurance.
· Incentivising fisheries and aquaculture microenterprises to improve value-chain efficiencies and creating jobs
· Incentivising micro and small enterprises in the fisheries sector to establish supply chains of safe fish and fishery products
· Integration and consolidation of fisheries value chains.
iv. Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF): In order to address the infrastructure requirement for fisheries sector, Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) was launched in the year 2018-19 with a total funds size of Rs 7522.48 crore. This fund offers concessional finance through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and Scheduled Banks, for fisheries related projects.
· Total 132 proposals with outlay of Rs. 5794.09 crore including Fishing Harbours, Fish Landing Centres and fish processing units have been approved under FIDF. sanctioned projects have mobilised an investment of Rs. 5794 crore in the fisheries sector, out of which an amount of Rs.300 crore has been mobilised from private enterprises.
· The sanctioned projects include 22 fishing harbours, 24 fish landing centres, 4 processing plants, 6 additional facilities in fishing harbour, 8 ice plants/cold storage, 6 training centres, 21 modernization of fish seed farms etc.
· In its earlier phase of FIDF, the completed projects created safe landing and berthing facilities for more than 8100 fishing vessels, enhancement of fish landing of 1.09 lakh tones, benefiting around 3.3 lakh fishers and other stakeholders and creation of 2.5 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities
v. Kisan Credit Card (KCC): The Government of India with effect from the financial year 2018-19 has extended the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) facility to fishers and fish famers to help them to meet their working capital requirements. A total of 4.39 lakh KCCs with a loan amount of Rs 2,810 crore have been sanctioned, till date to fishers and fish farmers.
Scheme/Initiative Impact
i. The schemes and programs implemented during the last 10 years had special focus on welfare of fishers’, by providing Livelihood and Nutritional Support during fishing ban/lean period to average 4.33 lakh fishers’ families annually with a total outlay of Rs 1681.21 crore.
ii. In addition, Group Accidental Insurance coverage was provided to 184.32 lakh fishers with an investment of Rs.89.25 crore.
iii. 18481 housing units for fishers were supported with an outlay of Rs.256.89 crore under Blue Revolution.
iv. Under various schemes and programs implemented since 2014-15 by the Department of Fisheries, GoI, 74.66 lakh employment opportunities (both direct and indirect) have been generated.
