On World Fisheries Day 2025 (November 21), the FAO emphasized renewed commitment to India’s Blue Revolution, focusing on sustainable growth, value addition, and resilience in fisheries and aquaculture.

About the Fisheries Sector

• The fisheries sector encompasses all activities related to the cultivation and harvesting of fish and other aquatic organisms, including aquaculture and marine fisheries.
• It plays a key role in global food security, providing protein-rich food, livelihoods, and economic development, particularly for coastal and rural communities.
• Types of Fisheries:
• • Marine Fisheries: Involve the harvesting of fish from oceans and seas. Major marine fish include tuna, mackerel, and sardines.
  • Inland Fisheries: Involve fishing in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Fish like carp, catfish, and tilapia are commonly found in inland water bodies.
  • Aquaculture: Refers to the cultivation of aquatic organisms, such as fish, shellfish, and seaweed, in controlled environments like ponds, tanks, or marine cages.
  • Mariculture: Specific type of aquaculture that takes place in marine environments, cultivating species such as oysters, shrimp, and seaweed.

Status of Fisheries Sector

• Production Milestones:
  • Production Growth: India’s aquatic food production rose from 2.44 million tonnes in the 1980s to 17.54 million tonnes in 2022–23.
  • Global Rank: India is the 2nd largest fish producer globally (≈ 8% of global output).
  • As per FAO SOFIA 2024:
    • Global aquaculture: 130.9 million tonnes (2022), valued at $313 billion
    • India contributed 10.23 million tonnes.
  • Coastal & Livelihood Contribution: 3,477 coastal fishing villages contribute 72% of fish production and 76% of seafood exports, supporting over 30 million livelihoods in coastal and rural regions
  • India is a leader in shrimp farming, particularly black tiger shrimp and prawns, contributing to export growth.
  • Exports: Marine product exports grew 11.08% from US$0.81B (Oct 2024) to US$0.90B (Oct 2025).
• Drivers of Sectoral Growth:
  • Shift from capture fisheries to aquaculture-led expansion.
  • Technological innovation in hatcheries, feed, breeding, and disease control.
  • Increased private sector participation and infrastructure modernisation.
  • Strong institutional and policy support by the government.

Significance of the Fisheries Sector

• Economic Contribution:  The fisheries sector plays a crucial role in the national economy by contributing to gross domestic product (GDP), particularly in countries with extensive coastlines. 
• Food Security: Fisheries are essential for global food security, particularly in coastal and island nations where fish provides a primary source of protein and other vital nutrients for millions of people.
• Employment Generation: The fisheries sector is a major source of employment worldwide, providing direct and indirect jobs for millions, including fishermen, workers in fish processing plants, and those involved in the aquaculture industry.
• Rural and Coastal Development: Fisheries are vital for the economic development of rural and coastal areas, offering income opportunities for small-scale fishers, especially in remote and underserved regions.

Key Challenges in Fisheries and Aquaculture

• Environmental Pressures: Excessive coastal fishing and juvenile catch have depleted nearshore stocks, reducing the availability of key species such as sardines and mackerel along both the Western and Eastern coasts.
• Habitat Degradation & Pollution: Loss of seagrass beds, harbour pollution and coastal sedimentation are damaging nursery habitats, limiting recruitment of commercially valuable species in high-density fishing zones.
• Socioeconomic Constraints: Small-scale fishers often lack access to finance, technology, and markets.
• Post-Harvest and Market Limitations: Poor traceability, inadequate cold chains, and limited value addition restrict India’s export potential and domestic market efficiency.
  • India continues to lose nearly 15–20% of fish post-harvest
• Inclusivity Concerns: Ensuring participation of smallholders, women, and vulnerable communities remains critical for equitable growth.

Institutional and Policy Support

• Blue Revolution and Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): Promotes integrated development of marine and inland fisheries, productivity enhancement, infrastructure creation, and safety of fishers.
  • Under PMMSY, infrastructure creation includes 730 cold storages and ice plants, 26,348 fish transport facilities, and 6,410 fish kiosks.
• National Fisheries Policy (Draft 2020): Focuses on sustainable harvest, conservation of resources, and climate-resilient fisheries management.
• Institutional Agencies: ICAR fisheries institutes, National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), and Coastal Aquaculture Authority support innovation, capacity building, quality control and environmental compliance.

Key Government Initiatives Taken

• Marine Fisheries Census 2025 (MFC 2025): Geo-references 1.2 million fisher households across 5,000 villages using VyAS-NAV, VyAS-BHARAT and VyAS-SUTRA apps, enabling real-time, evidence-based policymaking.
  • Motto: “Smart Census, Smarter Fisheries” to enable evidence-based policy and sustainable management.
• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY): Provides financial incentives, insurance premium support, formalisation of enterprises and risk mitigation.
• Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF): Offers concessional financing for fishing harbours, cold chains, processing units and aquaculture infrastructure.
  • It offers interest subvention of 3% per annum for 12 years, including a 2-year moratorium.
• Climate-Resilient Coastal Fishermen Villages Programme: Upgrades coastal villages with cyclone-resistant housing, early warning systems, diversified livelihoods and climate adaptation infrastructure.
• EEZ Sustainable Harnessing Rules, 2025: Provides priority fishing access to cooperatives, introduces digital ReALCraft Access-Pass, and bans destructive fishing practices to protect marine biodiversity.

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Way Forward

• Sustainable Fishing Practices: Strengthen the implementation of sustainable fishing techniques, ensuring that coastal communities adopt eco-friendly practices.
  • Expand the use of technology like digital tracking, data analytics, and satellite mapping to monitor fish stocks, prevent overfishing, and protect marine ecosystems.
• Support for Small-Scale Fishers: Ensure better access to finance, technology, and markets for small-scale fishers, especially women and marginalized communities.
• Infrastructure and Post-Harvest Management: Expand cold chain infrastructure and improve post-harvest processing facilities to reduce the 15-20% fish wastage in the country.
• Promoting Climate-Resilient Aquaculture: Scale up sustainable and climate-resilient aquaculture models across India, especially in coastal states like Andhra Pradesh.
  • Implement adaptive management strategies in coastal areas to mitigate the impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels and changing water temperatures.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Promote the use of data-driven approaches in fisheries management, leveraging technologies like GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and remote sensing to monitor fish populations, track fishing vessels, and prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

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