Fisheries

Fisheries is a fast-growing sector in India, which provides

nutrition and food security to a large population of the
country besides providing income and employment to more
than 28 million people.
Fisheries contributes to 1.07% of the Total GDP of India.

India
Contribution According to the National Fisheries Development Board the
Fisheries Industry generates an export earnings of Rs
334.41 billion.

Centrally sponsored schemes will increase exports by Rs 1

lakh crore in FY25.
• Fisheries sector has been recognized as a ‘Sunrise Sector’ and has demonstrated an outstanding double-
digit average annual growth of 10.87%since 2014-15.
• The sector has reached record fish production of 142 lakh tons in FY 2019-20 and has immense
potential for growth.
• India is the second largest fish producing country in the world accounting for 7.56% of global
production and contributing about 1.24% to the country’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and over 7.28% to
the agricultural GVA.
• Fisheries and aquaculture continue to be an important source of food, nutrition, income and livelihood
to millions of people.
• Export earnings from the Fisheries sector has been Rs.46,662.85 crores during 2019-20.
• The sector has immense potential to double its exports, it is essential that sustained and focused
attention is given to the fisheries sector through policy and financial support to accelerate its
development in a sustainable, responsible, inclusive and equitable manner.
Why Care About Small-Scale
Fisheries?
 1.5 billion people depend upon fish for food, income &
livelihood

Importance of 2.6 billion people receive more that 20% of their animal
protein from fish, compared to 8% in developed countries
Fisheries
to Developing Up to 50% of animal protein in some countries

Countries Fisheries contribute to:

• Secure livelihoods (commercial & small-scale)
• Human health (food security and nutrition)
• Economic and community development
• Regional & international trade, export earnings
• Environmental health and biodiversity conservation
• Security
 • Fish are the most heavily traded food commodity
and fastest growing international “agricultural”
Importance of commodity
Fisheries • Developing countries provide 77% of global
fishing production
to Developing • Supply-demand relationship is “south” to “north”
Countries • Net exports of fish in 2002 earned $17.4 billion
in foreign exchange for developing countries
• Greater than combined net exports of rice,
coffee, sugar & tea!
Small-Scale Fisheries
• Labor-intensive, non-mechanized, small boats, traditional fishing
gear
• Activities take place nearshore during trips of one day or less
• Small-scale fishers account for 96% of the world’s fishers
• They catch 58% of the global fish catch
• 12-50 million men and women are estimated to be directly involved
in small-scale capture fisheries (full-time, increasingly part-time,
seasonal)
• 87% of world’s fishers are in the Asia-Pacific region
• At least 20% of those employed in fisheries earn < $1/day
• Far more people have become involved in fishing than agriculture
since 1950 (total growth rate of 400% vs. 35%)
Large-Scale Fisheries Small-Scale Fisheries

• 500,000 people directly employed

• 50 Million people directly
employed
• People involved in fisheries-related
occupations: 1.0 M
• People involved in fisheries-
related occupations: 150 M

• Fishing household dependents: 2.0 M

• Fishing household dependents:
250 M

• Annual catch for food is 15-40

Million tons • Annual catch for food is 20-30
M tons
Challenges faced
• Sustainability: The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture reports note
that nearly 90 per cent of the global marine fish stocks have either been fully-exploited or over-fished or depleted to an
extent that recovery may not be biologically possible. While the near-shore coastal waters are highly overfished, the high
value fish stock proliferates in the deep seas.
• Increasing demand: In order to meet the ever-increasing demand for animal protein, global fish production should touch
196 million tonnes by 2025 — it currently stands at 171 million tonnes. Taking into account the current depletion rate of
marine fish stocks that seems next to impossible.
• Productivity: the productivity in both sectors is low — in terms of per fisher, per boat and per farm. In Norway, a
fisherman/farmer catches/produces 250 kg per day while the Indian average is four to five kg.
• Insufficient Mechanization: Marine capture fishery comprises largely of small fishermen who operate traditional boats
— either non-motorised vessels or boats with a basic outboard motor. These vessels cannot operate beyond near shore
waters. High value species such as tuna cannot be caught by fishermen who use these vessels.
• The lack of refrigeration facilities leads to spoilage of the huge catch. Use of formalin to keep the stock fresh has lead to
ban on export of fish catch.
• Bottom-trawling, improper demarcation of fishing boundaries has posed problems in form of killing, arresting of
fishermen by neighbouring countries like SL, Pakistan etc
Way forward
• The new National Policy on Marine Fisheries talks of introducing deep-sea fishing
vessels and assisting fishing communities to convert their vessels and gears for the waters beyond.
• There is a need to factor in the sustainability challenges and acknowledge that fishing is a primary
livelihood activity for a large number of communities and individuals.
• The policies framed by the new department should aim at enhancing productivity, better returns and
increased incomes.
• The policy envisages intensive fish farming through increased stocking of seed, better feed quality
and diversification of species.
• Innovative practices such as re-circulatory aquaculture system aim to realise the goal of more crop
per drop.
• We must prioritise seed production in order to attain self-sufficiency in the sector.
• Open sea cage culture is at a pilot stage and the initial trials have given promising results. This may
prove another game changer.