New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) India’s fish production has surged from 141.60 lakh tonnes in 2019–20 to around 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024–25, registering an increase of 38 per cent since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in 2020, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Minister Rajeev Ranjan Singh stated that this growth has been mainly driven by the expansion of inland aquaculture, marine fishery development, strengthening the value-chain infrastructure, and policy interventions under the PMMSY scheme.

India’s fish and fishery product exports currently stand at Rs 62,408.45 crore, reflecting strong sectoral performance. Since the implementation of the PMMSY in 2020-21, export earnings have risen by about 33.7 per cent, increasing from Rs 46,662.85 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 62,408.45 crore in 2024-25, he added.

India’s average aquaculture productivity has increased to approximately 4.7 tonnes per hectare by early 2025, from around 3 tonnes per hectare before the launch of the PMMSY, and the top-5 states in inland fish production are Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha, wherein Bihar stands at 4th position, the minister said.

The Gross Value Added (GVA) of the fisheries sector during 2023-24 has been reported to be Rs 3,68,124 crore in comparison to Rs 2,12,087 crore during 2018-19. The share of the fisheries sector in the GVA of the agriculture sector has increased from 7 per cent in 2018-19 to 7.55 per cent in 2023-24.

The Centre is focusing on the areas in fisheries technology, aquaculture, and value addition by supporting a basket of interventions along the fisheries value chain including quality fish production, expansion, diversification and intensification of aquaculture, promotion of export oriented species, infusion of technology, robust disease management and traceability, training and capacity building, creation of modern post-harvest infrastructure with seamless cold chain and processing facilities, the minister added.

The technology infusion and adoption have been enhanced through the establishment of 52,058 reservoir cages, 22,057 RAS & Biofloc units and raceways and 1,525 sea cages approved under the PMMSY with an investment of Rs. 3040.87 crore.

The Department of Fisheries has collaborated with several research institutions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and private incubators to boost the fisheries startup ecosystem.

The department has also supported the establishment of five fisheries business incubation centres, namely the LINAC-NCDC Fisheries Business Incubation Centre (LlFIC), Guwahati Biotech Park, Assam, the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai, and the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi, to provide mentorship and training for developing business models by fisheries start-ups, cooperatives, FPOs, and SHGs, the minister added.

–IANS

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