India's annual fish production has nearly doubled since 2014 to 17.5 million tons, with inland fishing now surpassing marine fishing, contributing 13.2 million tons, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said on Thursday.
In his address here to celebrate World Fisheries Day 2024, the minister said that India has now become the second-largest fish producer globally, with around 30 million people involved in fish production across the value chain. The country accounts for as much as 8 per cent of the world's total fish production, he added. He said that various initiatives by the fisheries department like the Blue Revolution, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), and the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PMMKSY) have resulted in boosting fish production in the country.
var taboola_mid_article_type = '1'; The Minister also congratulated the fishermen and fish farmers for their role in achieving the target. Singh launched a series of landmark initiatives and projects aimed at transforming the fisheries sector and strengthening India's blue economy. These included the launch of the 5th Marine Fisheries Census for data-driven policymaking, the National Plan of Action on Sharks for sustainable shark management and India's endorsement of the Regional Plan of Action on IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) Fishing to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Bay of Bengal Region joi.