The report evaluates the government's response to recommendations aimed at improving the fisheries sector, enhancing employment opportunities, and increasing revenue generation.
- India is 3rd largest fish-producing country, accounting for approximately 8% of global fish production.
- Over the years, the sector’s contribution to agricultural GVA has risen from around 4% to over 6.72%.
Key Highlights
Issues Highlighted | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Lack of a Dedicated Research Body: Fisheries research falls under ICAR, which lacks sector-specific focus. | Establish the Indian Council for Fishery and Aquaculture Research (ICFAR). |
| Regulation of Juvenile Fish Harvesting: Harmful practices like bull trawling and LED fishing deplete fish stocks. | Enforce Minimum Legal Mesh Size (MLS) regulations uniformly and ban destructive fishing methods. |
| Interest-Free Loans for Fishers: Only some states offer 4% additional interest subvention under KCC. | Expand interest-free KCC loans nationwide. |
| Post-Harvest Losses & Infrastructure: 20-25% losses due to poor storage and processing facilities. | Strengthen cold storage, processing, and transport under PMMSY |
| Self-Sufficiency in Shrimp Broodstock: Heavy reliance on imported L. Vannamei shrimp broodstock. | Fast-track domestic broodstock development via ICAR. |
| Fish stock washed away due to dam gate openings and heavy rainfall. | Introduce insurance for dam fishers, similar to PM Fasal Beema Yojana. |
| Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) barriers and lackof proper certification and traceability hinder exports. | Enhancing Export Competitiveness: Improve SPS compliance, certification, and traceability to boost exports. |
