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India's fisheries sector has emerged as a major contributor to food security, employment, export earnings and sustainable livelihoods, backed by a record 39,272 crore investment by the Government of India since 2015.
According to an official press release issued by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, the sector supports nearly 30 million fishers and fish farmers at the primary level and almost twice as many across the value chain. Ranked the second-largest aquaculture producer globally, India accounts for about 8% of global fish production. Once largely traditional, fisheries have evolved into a commercially significant sector over the past decade, while ensuring inclusive growth for small-scale fishers. This transformation is reflected in output growth, with fish production rising from 141.64 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 to 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, recording an average annual growth of around 7%. India's seafood exports have recorded strong and sustained growth, expanding at an average annual rate of 7% over the past 11 years. Marine product exports have more than doubled during the period, rising from 30,213 crore in 2013-14 to 62,408 crore in 2024-25, driven largely by shrimp exports valued at 43,334 crore. India's seafood exports span a wide and diversified basket, with over 350 varieties of products shipped to nearly 130 global markets. The United States remains the largest destination, accounting for 36.42% of total export value in 2024-25, followed by China, the European Union, Southeast Asia, Japan and the Middle East, while other markets together account for about 9%. The export mix continues to be dominated by frozen shrimp, which remains India's flagship seafood product, followed by frozen fish, squid, dried items, frozen cuttlefish, surimi-based products, and live and chilled seafood, reflecting both strong global demand and expanding product diversification. Share of value-added products in the seafood export basket has increased from 2.5% to 11%, amounting to USD 742 million in export value. According to the release, to reduce over-dependence on a few commodities and deepen India's presence in global seafood markets, the Government is actively pursuing diversification of the export basket. Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Department of Fisheries supports a wide range of interventions across the value chain, including quality fish seed production, expansion and diversification of brackish-water aquaculture, promotion of export-oriented species, technology adoption, disease management, traceability systems, and capacity building. Investments are also being made to strengthen post-harvest infrastructure, seamless cold-chain networks, modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres. In parallel, the Government is promoting diversified aquaculture focused on high-value species such as Tuna, seabass, cobia, pompano, mud crab, GIFT tilapia, grouper, tiger shrimp (P. monodon), scampi and seaweed, with the objective of expanding India's product portfolio and improving access to premium international markets. To safeguard access to key export markets, India is steadily aligning its fisheries sector with international regulations and sustainability standards. A major focus has been on meeting U.S. compliance requirements, particularly under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which mandates measures to reduce marine mammal bycatch. Following sustained efforts, including scientific stock assessments and stakeholder consultations, India secured a comparability finding from US authorities in 2025, ensuring uninterrupted seafood exports to the American market beyond the December 2025 deadline, the release said. At the same time, steps are underway to address restrictions on wild-caught shrimp exports through the installation of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) on shrimp trawlers, with large-scale deployment progressing across coastal states. The government has also strengthened traceability and certification systems, launching a national digital framework to ensure end-to-end tracking, food safety, and compliance with global standards. Together with new rules governing sustainable fishing in India's Exclusive Economic Zone, these measures reflect a concerted push to position India as a responsible and globally compliant seafood exporter. To promote ease of doing business in the fisheries sector, the Department of Fisheries has streamlined several regulatory and import processes. The Sanitary Import Permit (SIP) system has been fully digitised and integrated with the National Single Window System, reducing approval time from 30 days to only 72 hours. SIP requirements have been waived for SPF shrimp broodstock, fish oil, limited R&D samples, and wild-caught fish imports meant solely for value addition and re-export, easing trade operations. Recent legal reforms have further reduced compliance burdens for aquaculture units, reflecting a broader push to make the sector more business-friendly and investment-ready. Over the next five years, the government plans to sharpen India's global seafood strategy by shifting the focus toward higher-value exports, wider market reach and stronger quality assurance. The share of value-added products is targeted to rise, driven by expanded processing facilities, skilled workforce development and improved certification systems. Efforts will also be directed at scaling exports to markets such as the UK, EU, ASEAN and West Asia, alongside building inland export hubs and freshwater supply chains. Enhanced cold-chain networks, digital traceability and compliance frameworks are expected to underpin India's ambition to emerge as a dependable and premium seafood exporter in the years ahead. (ANI)
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