Over 15,000 fishers and fish farmers from 34 States and Union Territories participated in a comprehensive virtual outreach programme organized by the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, from April to September 2025. This landmark initiative, led by Secretary Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, provided direct access for grassroots voices to influence the aquaculture roadmap.
Broad Grassroots Engagement
Spanning coastal, inland, hilly, island, and North-Eastern regions, these sessions represented nearly every district in India. Stakeholder groups included fishers, fish farmers, associations, cooperatives, Fisheries Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs), startups, National Fisheries Development Board, ICAR institutions, and State Fisheries Departments. Feedback, concerns, and aspirations were gathered over six months for targeted policy, support, and infrastructure planning.
Key Stakeholder Priorities and Recommendations
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Demands for quality fish seed, brood banks, affordable feed, and local feed mills.
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Calls for better facilities: transport, cage culture, mini hatcheries, ice boxes, poly sheets, cold storage, aquaculture incentives, and solar energy use.
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Adoption of technological innovations: drones for live fish transport, satellite applications for fisher safety, and fishing zone advisory systems.
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Appreciation for free government-installed transponders in fishing vessels, which provide weather and fishing zone alerts, aiding safety and border security.
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Marketing: Desire for more dedicated fish markets, kiosks, and modern processing plants to boost value chains and positive pricing.
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Support for alternate livelihoods—seaweed cultivation, ornamental fisheries, and pearl farming—under flagship schemes like PMMSY.
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Requests for more capacity-building, training, and disease control support, including water quality labs.
Policy Response and Sector Support
The Department of Fisheries noted these insights will shape interventions and guide five-year planning aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. The sector, sustaining nearly 3 crore people (many marginalized), is now growing at 8.74% annually. India, the world’s second-largest fish producer with 195 lakh tonnes annual output, has seen cumulative investments of ₹38,572 crore across major schemes since 2015. Seafood exports reached ₹60,524 crore in 2023-24.
Thirty-four fisheries production and processing clusters are notified nationwide, with a push for species-specific and women-empowering clusters to drive technology adoption, value addition, and income diversification.
Conclusion
This inclusive outreach not only empowered stakeholders with a voice in sectoral planning but ensures sustainable, farmer-centric growth—making India’s fisheries a role model for participatory policymaking and holistic development.
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Source: PIB
