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 recognised as the ‘Sunrise Sector’ and is instrumental in sustaining livelihoods of around 30 million people in India particularly that of the marginalised 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 January 27, 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 October 31, 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 specialised 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.