Why in news? Fisheries sector in India play a significant role in the Indian economy and provide livelihood to millions of fisher folk. The Blue Revolution in India demonstrated importance of Fisheries and Aquaculture sector.

Highlights:

• With the vast and varied Inland and marine Fisheries resources, fisheries and aquaculture in India plays an important role in feeding the rising global demand for protein rich food, foreign exchange earnings, reducing hunger and malnutrition apart from providing employment generation, livelihood to millions of fish farmers, fishers, fish traders, fish workers especially the marginalized and vulnerable communities of the country.

What is the Current trends in Indian fisheries ?

• India is the 3rd largest fish producing and 2nd largest aquaculture producing nation in the world.
• During year 2021-22, India accounting to 7.56% of total global production through sustainable utilization of resources but also stood as 4th largest exporter of fish and fisheries products taking Brand India from Local to Global.
• Fisheries contributes to about 1.24% to the country’s GVA and over 7.28% to the Agricultural GVA.
• There was an all-time high exports of 13.64 lakh tonnes valuing Rs 57,587 crores (USD 7.76 bn) dominated by exports of shrimps during 2022. At present India is exporting to 123 countries.
• To help meet working capital and short-term credit requirements of the sector, the Government has extended the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to Fishers, Fish Farmers, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Joint Liability Groups, Women Groups, etc.

What are the potential of fishery industries ?

• The 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, with record fish production of 161.87 lakh tons (provisional) during 2021-22.
• The sector aims to increase the farmers’ income through enhancement of production and productivity, improving the quality and reduction of waste.
• The Government is committed to a national target to increase fish production to 22 million metric tons by 2024-2025, which will have a positive impact on 2.80 crore fishers and fish farmers and almost twice that number along fish-related value chains.
• Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal States are the chief producers of shrimp accounting for about 80% of the total country’s production
• The potential states identified for development of Ornamental Fisheries are West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Odisha, Gujarat, Karnataka, Assam and Manipur.

Types of fisheries

• Freshwater Fisheries: Around 70% of India’s fish production comes from inland waters, of which nearly 65% comes from aquaculture. Out of the total inland aquaculture production, Indian Major Carps are the most cultured freshwater fish. The freshwater fisheries include Rivers & Canals, Tanks & Ponds, Reservoirs and Saline / Alkaline affected areas
• Brackishwater Fisheries: India has around 1.2 million ha brackishwater resources comprising of estuaries (deltaic river mouths), coastal lagoons, lakes, backwaters, tidal creeks, canals, mudflats, mangrove plants, etc. Traditional brackishwater fish and shrimp farming practices in the Bheries of West Bengal and Pokalli paddy fields of Kerala are practised
• Marine Fisheries: They include fishing in Exclusive Economic Zone, Continental Shelf, Territorial Sea and all across coastal line. The nine Maritime States are Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa. The 4 Maritime Union Territories are Daman & Diu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep Islands and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are important marine fishing grounds.
• Shell Fisheries : They are those fisheries where shellfish such as crab, lobyster. etc are cultured and reared. This are aquatic invertebrates having an exoskeleton/shell. They can be grouped into two general categories: Crustaceans and Molluscs.
• Types of Shellfish
• Crustaceans: Prawns, Shrimps, Crabs, Lobsters, Crayfishes, etc.
• Molluscs: Gastropods (snails), Pelecypods or Bivalves (clams, mussels, oysters) and Cephalopods (squids, cuttlefish, octopus).

What are the policies and schemes introduced for blue revolution?

• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY):
• It was launched in September 2020 with an aim to double the income of fish farmers and fishers in the country and focuses on sustainable development of India’s fisheries sector and is a part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme.
• PMMSSY is designed to address critical gaps in the fisheries value chain from fish production, productivity and quality to technology, post-harvest infrastructure and marketing.
• It aims to modernize and strengthen the value chain, enhance traceability and establish a robust fisheries management framework while simultaneously ensuring the socio-economic welfare of fishers and fish farmers.
• As a tool of Atma Nirbhar Bharat towards the purpose of rural development by utilizing rural resources and boosting rural economy in a rapid way.
• PMMSY can be a key factor for augmenting livelihood of rural sector of the nation. The main motto of PMMSY is ‘Reform, Perform and Transform’ in the fisheries sector.
• Establishment of deep sea fishing vessel with Bio-toilets, open sea cage for fish culture ,Small Marine finfish hatcheries, pond area for brackish water aquaculture and brackish water hatcheries in marine fisheries
• Replacement boats and nets for fishermen, livelihood and nutritional support for fishers’ families for conservation of fisheries resources during fishing ban/lean period and 73 extension and support services (Matsya Seva Kendras)
• Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund: Under FIDF, the Department of Fisheries provides interest subvention up to 3% per annum for providing the concessional finance by the NLEs at the interest rate not lower than 5% per annum.
• Establishment of Integrated Multi-purpose Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu
• SagarMala project of the Ministry of Shipping for fishing harbours and fish landing centres
• Development of 5 Major Fishing harbours as hub of economic activities: As per the Union Budget Announcement 2021-22, modernisation of 4 fishing harbours namely Paradip, Chennai, Cochin, Vishakhapatnam and development of Mallete Bunder fishing harbour has been approved
• Department of Fisheries launched ‘Sagar Parikrama’ program on occasion of 75th Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. ‘Sagar Parikrama’ aims to resolve the issues of the fishers and other stakeholders and to facilitate their economic upliftment
• Blue Revolution provides financial assistance for the construction of houses, community halls for recreation and common working places. Apart from this, a Group Accident Insurance Scheme (GAIS) is being offered to all fish farmers in the country

Neoteric techniques and technologies in fisheries

(Recirculating Aquaculture Systems)-RAS:

• RAS is a highly intensive, eco-friendly and water-efficient farming system with zero environmental impact. In this system, fish are typically reared in indoor or outdoor tanks in a controlled environment. It is an intensive high-density method of fish culture unlike other aquaculture production systems or traditional fish production practices

Biofloc technology:

• It converts toxic materials such as nitrate and ammonia into a proteinaceous feed. In this aquaculture technique, limited exchange of water takes place with high stocking density and strong aeration. The biofloc system has been developed to improve environmental control over aquatic animal production. It has the potential to address critical issues of aquaculture such as high cost of feed (accounting for about 60% of the total production cost) and limited availability of tanks

Aquaponics

• Aquaponics is a technique in which both fishes and plants are grown using an integrated method. The fish waste serves as fertiliser for growing plants; the plants absorb nutrients and filter the water; and the filtered water is used to replenish the fish tank. Green leafy vegetables with low to medium nutrient requirements are used in aquaponics systems. The fishes and plants grown in aquaponics system are completely organic

Cage cultivation

• Cage culture presented a new opportunity to optimise fish production from brackish waters and inland water systems such as reservoirs, lakes and floodplain wetlands, and thus enhance the production and income of fishers and entrepreneurs. It has been adopted by fishers in multiple states in India to optimally utilise the available water resources, but the adoption rate is slow. Cage culture in different types of water resources can serve as an alternative source of livelihood to fishers and other value chain players by producing high-value aqua products as per market demands.

Seaweed cultivation

• Seaweed is usually grown in marine and shallow coastal waters and on rocky shores. The demand for seaweed has been increasingly growing across the globe, owing to its industrial use. Industrial application of seaweed has high market potential, especially due to India’s booming pharmaceutical and chemical industries. There are rich seaweed beds around Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and the Chilika Lake in Orissa. Seaweed cultivation can be promoted on a large scale among rural entrepreneurs, women’s groups and FFPOs by setting up market linkages.

Ornamental fisheries

• Ornamental fish production is gradually increasing in India. Ornamental fish trade in India constitutes 90% from freshwater fish and 10% from marine. A majority of the ornamental fish breeders in India breed exotic fish. India has diversified 195 indigenous varieties and about 400 marine species.52 Hence, India’s huge potential for ornamental fisheries can be tapped by providing technical, financial and infrastructural support to the youth, women’s groups, community-based institutions and entrepreneurs.

What are the challenges in the fisheries sector in India?

• Slow adoption of new techniques and technologies: To cater to the rising demand and growth expectations, the fisheries sector must adopt the latest techniques and implement new-age technologies in order to boost production.
• Limited extension services: Despite rapid growth in the sector, extension services provide the information and services needed by an aqua farmer, marine or inland fisher suffers
• Lack of quality inputs and access to credit: Available inputs like seeds, feed, growth supplements and medicines used in aquaculture have quality concerns. Often, inputs are suggested by local shops as per their convenience without proper diagnosis. Even though various regulations have been enacted by the Central and state governments, ensuring quality of inputs remains a challenge. The lack of quality inputs reduces yield and this in turn has a significant economic impact.
• Poor price discovery mechanism: Fish trading in India still follows traditional practices, and there is no efficient electronic trading platform. Traders in the landing centres and wholesale markets still practice the open auction method, without weighing or examining the quality of the products.
• Post-harvest losses: Fish is a highly perishable commodity, and its putrefaction starts right from the point of harvest. Wastage of fisheries products is very high in India and goes up during the monsoon. Such post-harvest losses impact the availability of edible fish in the market and increase the stress on resources for production of higher volumes
• Lack of cold chain facilities: Resilient cold chain facilities for aqua products include ice plants, cold storage, reefer and insulated vans, and chilling units. However, the fish industry in India uses only 1% of the total storage capacity available in the country