Indian fish exports to surge 61% to 1.7 mn tonnes by 2030: Report

The surge is slated to be higher than the expansion in global exports which are seen rising 24% by 2030

Exports of fish from India are expected to grow by 61.2 per cent by 2030 as the bulk of the perishable item shipped will originate from Asian countries.

According to a report by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations titled ‘The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture’, Indian exports of the fish will touch 1.72 million tonnes compared to 1.07 million tonnes recorded in 2016.

Globally, fish exports are slated to expand 24 per cent by 2030.

In the Asian continent, India will lead other nations in growth followed by Indonesia (57.6 per cent), Vietnam (42 per cent), Japan (40 per cent) and Thailand (24.8 per cent). China’s fish production is tipped to grow 22.9 per cent, touching 9.4 million tonnes.

“Fish and fish products will continue to be highly traded. It is projected that about 31 per cent of total fishery production will be exported in 2030 (38 per cent if trade within the European Union is included), in the form of different products for human consumption or non-edible purposes, traded at various stages of processing”, said the report.

In quantity terms, the world trade of fish for human consumption is expected to grow by 24 per cent in the projection period and will reach more than 48 million tonnes (in live weight equivalent) in 2030 (60.6 million tonnes if trade within the European Union is included).

Asian region will account for about 51 per cent of the incremental exports by 2030. The region’s share in total trade of fish for human consumption is pegged at 50 per cent in 2030.

China will continue to be the major exporter of fish for human consumption (followed by Viet Nam and Norway), accounting for a share of 20 per cent.

“Advanced economies are expected to remain highly dependent on imports to fulfil their domestic demand. The European Union, Japan and the United States of America will account for 43 per cent of total imports for food fish consumption in 2030, a slightly lower share than in 2016 (44 per cent)”, the report added.