India has marked World Fisheries Day 2025 with a major policy and infrastructure push for the fisheries and aquaculture sector, anchored by the launch of the “National Framework on Traceability in Fisheries and Aquaculture 2025” and a clear export target of ₹1 lakh crore by 2030.
World Fisheries Day event
The Department of Fisheries celebrated World Fisheries Day 2025 in New Delhi under the theme “India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Value Addition in Seafood Exports.” Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh addressed participants via video, while Ministers of State Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel and Shri George Kurian attended in person, signalling strong political backing for the sector’s reform and export agenda.
New national traceability framework
A central highlight was the release of the National Framework on Traceability in Fisheries and Aquaculture 2025, developed under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM‑MKSSY). The framework aims to create a unified national digital traceability system to ensure food safety, sustainability and compliance with domestic and international regulations, integrating tools such as blockchain, IoT, QR codes, GPS and cloud platforms to enable real-time “farm to plate” and “catch to consumer” tracking.
Supporting SOPs and guidelines
Alongside the framework, several key documents were released to modernise infrastructure and standardise practices across the value chain. These include SOPs for mariculture, smart and integrated fishing harbours, and minimum basic infrastructure at notified marine fish landing centres, as well as guidelines for reservoir fisheries management and a compendium of coastal aquaculture guidelines. Together, these instruments aim to upgrade landing, culture and processing facilities while embedding sustainability and quality standards across marine and inland segments.
Ministerial vision and export goals
In his message, Rajiv Ranjan Singh called for coordinated efforts across stakeholders to improve packaging, meet certification norms and leverage Free Trade Agreements to penetrate new markets, positioning FTAs and standards compliance as twin levers for export growth. He described the National Traceability Framework as a transformative step to strengthen traceability, branding and biosecurity, thereby boosting seafood exports and securing better price realisation for fishers.
Production growth and sectoral impact
Minister of State George Kurian highlighted that India has nearly doubled fish production from 96 lakh tonnes to around 195 lakh tonnes over the past decade, supported by investments of about ₹38,572 crore under flagship schemes such as PMMSY. He outlined the ambition to reach ₹1 lakh crore in seafood exports by 2030, with 30% coming from high‑value, value‑added products, signalling a shift from volume‑led to value‑led growth.
Livelihoods and ease of doing business
Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel underlined the fisheries sector’s role in supporting over 3 crore livelihoods and contributing significantly to export earnings. He noted that reforms in GST, digitisation and training, along with a rise in registered exporters, have improved ease of doing business and strengthened India’s global presence in seafood trade.
Growth, sustainability and compliance
Secretary (Fisheries) Dr Abhilaksh Likhi stated that the fisheries sector is growing at around 9% annually, with seafood exports touching 16.85 lakh tonnes in FY 2024–25, an 88% increase over the past decade. He stressed the government’s focus on value addition, diversification and regulatory compliance to establish India as a leading seafood processing hub, while pointing to sustainability initiatives like marine mammal stock assessment and the use of Turtle Excluder Devices to meet international ecological norms.
Global partners and Blue Port Initiative
FAO India Representative Takayuki Hagiwara reaffirmed FAO’s support for India’s efforts to strengthen food security, sustainability and resilience in fisheries and aquaculture. He highlighted the Blue Port Initiative to modernise fisheries infrastructure, attract private investment and enhance competitiveness, and also stressed the need to curb antimicrobial resistance by reducing drug use in the seafood value chain.
International participation and diplomacy
The event drew representatives from 19 embassies and key international organisations including the World Bank, FAO, AFD, GIZ, JICA, BoBP and MSC, reflecting deepening global engagement in India’s fisheries sector. This builds on recent diplomatic outreach to countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and Australia to expand cooperation in fisheries and drive export promotion.
Technical sessions and PMMSY Phase 2
Two technical sessions focused on value addition and export potential of inland states and UTs, especially for freshwater fish species. Discussions covered innovation, branding, compliance with quality norms, smart infrastructure and digital traceability, with outputs expected to inform the design and priorities of PMMSY Phase 2.
Core features of the traceability framework
The traceability framework seeks to address fragmented existing practices by creating a unified, interoperable digital system across value chains. It emphasises inclusivity for small-scale fishers and farmers, alignment with initiatives such as Digital India and the Blue Economy Policy, and phased implementation backed by capacity-building, cybersecurity safeguards and clear KPIs for monitoring and evaluation.
Conclusion
The World Fisheries Day 2025 announcements position India’s fisheries and aquaculture sector for a phase of technology‑driven, export‑oriented and sustainability‑linked growth. With the National Traceability Framework, new SOPs, and a clear ₹1 lakh crore export target by 2030, the government is signalling a shift towards higher value addition, stronger compliance and deeper global integration, while seeking to protect marine ecosystems and secure better livelihoods for millions dependent on the blue economy.
For more real-time updates, visit Channel 6 Network.
Source: PIB
