Fisheries Sector

Bengal govt failed to implement fisheries scheme for two years: Centre

The West Bengal government did not implement the PMMSY central scheme for fisheries for two years and has spent only Rs 58.51 crore of the sanctioned amount, Union Minister for Fisheries Rajiv Ranjan Singh informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched by the Union Ministry of Fisheries to bring about ecologically healthy, economically viable and socially inclusive development of the fisheries sector of India. For two years after the scheme was launched in 2020-21, the West Bengal government did not cooperate with the Central government in implementing it, the minister said. In 2022-23, the West Bengal government accepted it and sent proposals of Rs 221 crore. Of this, Rs 114 crore proposals were approved by the Central government. "Out of the sanctioned amount, just Rs 58.51 crore has been spent by the West Bengal government so far," Singh said. The minister said it is very difficult to implement any programme if a state government

Still dreaming of the deep sea: India's blue economy and its blind spots

If India truly has such promise in the deep sea, why has modern fishing there never taken off?

India's marine fish landings drop 2% to 3.47 million tonnes in 2024

India's marine fish landings dropped by 2% in 2024, with Kerala witnessing a 4% fall. Gujarat remained the largest producer, while disruptions from cyclones and heatwaves affected fishing activities

Fisheries and aqua sector see big boost from UK trade deal, Maldives MoU

India's fisheries and aquaculture sectors are experiencing significant growth following the UK trade deal and a MoU with the Maldives, which will improve seafood exports and enhance infrastructure

Don't break what works: Rethink the recent proposal to fragment ICAR

ICAR is one of the few institutions that retain land-grant-style integration of research, education, and extension across disciplines. To dismantle that is to dismantle our strength

India misses marine export target by over ₹37,000 crore under PMMSY

Looming US tariff threats may further hurt the sector, say experts

India to raise agri, fisheries, investment facilitation issues at WTO meet

India will flag its concerns on issues pertaining to agriculture, fisheries agreement, China-led proposal on investment facilitation and dysfunctional appellate body of the WTO during an informal meeting of about 25 trade ministers in Paris on June 3, an official said. The mini-ministerial meeting will be held on the margins of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will participate in this meeting. He is on a five-day visit to France and Italy from June 1. The official said that India will raise its concerns on all key issues of the WTO including agriculture (finding permanent solution to the public stock holding); fisheries agreement, investment facilitation proposal, reforms in the WTO and dysfunctional appellate body of the Geneva-based forum. India is against the move led by countries such as China to push a proposal on investment facilitation at the World Trade ...

Government rejects Opposition's offshore mining allegations in Kerala

Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday rejected the Opposition's allegations that offshore mining is impacting the fishermen community of Kerala, saying the mining activity is yet to begin. Moreover, he said that out of 13 offshore blocks, only three are in Kerala and that too, they are beyond 12 nautical miles, which comes under the exclusive economic zones. He said when the mining has not yet started, "How you are saying that it is impacting the fishermen". Replying to a Calling Attention Motion on hardships faced by the fishermen community, the minister said the government has taken a series of measures for the welfare of the fishermen. He accused the previous Congress government of framing a law on offshore mining. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the cancellation of tenders permitting offshore mining along the coast of Kerala, Gujarat, and Andaman a

Kerala fishermen express concerns over Centre's deep-sea mining proposal

"They can bring in the navy or even the army, but we will not allow sea mining off our shore. This is a matter of life and death for us, and we will not let anyone take away our livelihood," Robin said passionately about their stance on the Union government's proposed deep-sea sand mining. The fishermen in Kerala have already launched several protests against the proposed plan to open up the sea to private mining companies as part of the Union Government's 'Blue Economy' initiative. All the fishermen's associations stand united in their protests against this proposal, alleging that it would bring an end to the fisheries sector in the country, not only in the Arabian Sea but also in the Bay of Bengal. "The mining, according to the scientific report we have, can disturb the seabed and completely destroy fish spawning habitats. It can also release poisonous gases trapped on the deep-sea floor, causing severe environmental issues," Kerala Minister for Fisheries, Saji Cherian, told PTI.

India's fishery sector loses $2.2 bn annually due to water pollution: Study

India's fishery sector loses over USD 2 billion due to untreated wastewater contaminating waterways, according to a study published on Wednesday. It also said the country suffers an annual economic loss of USD 246 million from diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water due to poor wastewater management. Launched at the World Ocean Summit in Japan by ocean health initiative Back to Blue and the Ocean Sewage Alliance, the study highlights the high cost of inaction in wastewater management in Brazil, India, Kenya, the Philippines and the United Kingdom. Untreated or poorly treated wastewater is a major source of pollution and disease. When it enters rivers, oceans and drinking water supplies, the consequences are severe. Among the five countries, India's fishery sector suffers the most, losing 5.4 per cent (USD 2.2 billion) of its economic value annually, followed by Kenya (5.1 per cent). Since India is a major seafood supplier, this threatens both domestic food security and exp

Aiming for 22 mn tonnes of fish production: Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Saturday said the government aims to increase fish production from 17.5 million tonnes to 22 million tonnes. The Union Minister chaired the 11th Annual General Meeting of Governing Body of National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) here. "At the NFDB Governing Body meeting today there was discussion on increasing fish production from the (current) 17.5 million tonnes to 22 million tonnes...by focussing on technology, investment and innovation. We will make strategy on it and work to achieve the target (22 million tonnes)," Rajiv Ranjan Singh told PTI Videos. Meanwhile, Rajiv Ranjan Singh along with Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying S P Singh Baghel and NITI Aayog Member Prof Ramesh Chand inaugurated the Fisheries Startup Conclave 2.0 here on Saturday, an official release said. The 'Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge 2.0' launched as part of the Fisheries Startup Concl

Odisha inks pact with IRMA for training fisheries officers, farmers

The Odisha government inked an agreement with the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) to enhance the capacity of fisheries officers and progressive farmers in the state, officials said on Wednesday. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by IRMA Director Umakant Dash, Fisheries Director Sadique Alam and Project Director of Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture (OIIPCRA) Rashmi Ranjana Nayak. It was signed on Tuesday in the presence of the state's Development Commissioner Anu Garg. The collaboration aims to enhance the capacity of fisheries officers and progressive farmers through structured residential training programmes focused on fish market development, including training of trainers, officials said. It will help the officers to develop strategies for domestic market consumption, familiarise with marketing techniques, and improve understanding of consumer behaviour, they said. Additionally, the initiative will build skills in .

India assumes chairmanship of Bay of Bengal Inter-Governmental Organisation

India has assumed the chairmanship of the Bay of Bengal Inter-Governmental Organisation at the 13th Governing Council Meeting in Male, Maldives.India assumed the chairmanship in the presence of senior government representatives from Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bangladesh, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said in a press release.The event was part of the high-level conference 'Policy Guidance for Mainstreaming Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in Small-Scale Fisheries', hosted by the Ministry of Fisheries & Ocean Resources of the Maldives government, in collaboration with the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), that has been successfully convened from February 20 to 22, 2025, in Lankanfinolhu, Maldives.As per the Ministry, the Indian delegation was led by Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries. He highlighted that India is committed to upholding and building upon the achievements of the Bay of Bengal

'Multi-stakeholder approach needed to strengthen fish disease surveillance'

India, the world's third-largest fish producing country, on Thursday called for a multi-stakeholder approach for strengthening disease surveillance of aquatic animals besides improving diagnostic and therapeutic measures. Addressing a symposium organised as part of the 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum meet here, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying George Kurian said the government agencies, research institutions, and industry players should work together to enhance biosecurity protocols also. He emphasised that sustainable aquaculture practices are key to ensuring food security, livelihoods, and economic growth in India, an official statement said. The Minister acknowledged the efforts made under various government initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and emphasized the need for continuous research and innovation in aquatic animal health management. Indian Council of Agriculture Research Deputy Director General

Shah to inaugurate 10K new PACS, dairy, and fisheries cooperative societies

The launch of the National Cooperative Database (NCD) was a milestone in the cooperative sector

Parliamentary panel criticises fisheries ministry for fund underutilisation

A Parliamentary panel on Tuesday criticised the fisheries ministry for under-utilisation of funds allocated in the Budget and asked it to address the issue. "...the reasons for under-utilisation continue to remain the same," the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing said in its third report submitted to Parliament. The under-utilisation of funds continues even after more than three years of putting in place a new financial system by the Ministry of Finance, it said. The committee recommended the Department of Fisheries make "serious efforts" and "proactively liaise" with state governments and state fisheries departments to address this issue for positive results. The committee noted that targeted and effective implementation of the department's schemes becomes imperative for the socio-economic upliftment of the fishermen in general and traditional fishermen in particular. "It, therefore, becomes all the more necessary that the Budget allocation fo

India seeks stronger WTO subsidy regulations for high seas fishing

India has pitched at the WTO for stricter regulations on subsidies granted by countries that are engaged in high seas fishing activities, an official said. Highlighting the stark disparity, an Indian document submitted at the World Trade Organization (WTO) has noted that it provides a modest USD 35 per fisher annually, compared to subsidies as high as USD 76,000 per fisher per year in some European nations. India also suggested that historical subsidisers should seek permission of the Committee on Fisheries Subsidies for grant of subsidies in future. The country has made these remarks in the meetings of the Negotiating Group on Rules (Fisheries subsidies), which are going on in Geneva. "India has pitched for strong disciplines for historical fisheries subsidisers which are engaged in distant water fishing (200 nautical miles from sea shore) and has asked for a moratorium on subsidies at the present level for 25 years," the official said. On these demands, India was supported by ..

China's coast guard blasts water cannon, sideswipes vessel: Philippines

Chinese coast guard vessels, backed by navy ships, fired powerful water cannons and blocked and sideswiped a Philippine patrol vessel Wednesday in renewed aggression in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, Philippine officials said. Three Philippine coast guard and bureau of fisheries vessels were on routine patrol to protect Filipino fishermen at the Scarborough Shoal when several Chinese coast guard and navy ships approached and staged aggressive actions after dawn, the Philippine coast guard said. There was no immediate comment from Chinese officials. In the past, they have repeatedly cited China's sovereignty in the contested offshore region and their determination to defend what they say is their territory despite a 2016 international arbitration decision that invalidated Beijing's historical claims. China's reported actions in the disputed waters came after a respite of more than a month while back-to-back major storms prevented many Philippine fishing and commercial vesse

Govt to set up high-level panel for roadmap to develop fisheries sector

The government on Sunday decided to constitute a high-level committee comprising senior officials to chalk out a roadmap for further development of the fisheries sector. A decision in this regard was taken in a meeting between Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh here at Krishi Bhavan. Highlighting the research undertaken by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in the field of fisheries, Chouhan stressed on the need to develop "model farms" to boost the income of small farmers, an official statement said. "In this regard, it has been decided to constitute a high-level committee in the field of fisheries composed of senior officials of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and ICAR," the agriculture ministry said in a statement. The committee will hold regular meetings and prepare a roadmap, it added. Chouhan said the state governments and other stakeholders need to be