Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a crucial meeting on Thursday to evaluate the current progress and outline future strategies for India’s fisheries industry, placing special emphasis on deep-sea fishing and boosting seafood exports. The visionary leader urged for a transformative approach to modernize the sector through innovative infrastructure such as smart harbours and markets, coupled with cutting-edge technology like drones for the swift transportation and marketing of fresh catch.
Highlighting the importance of a healthier and more efficient supply chain, Modi emphasized the need for value addition at every stage. “Chaired a meeting on ways to further strengthen the fisheries sector. We attach great importance to this area and have worked extensively to improve infrastructure relating to the sector and also ensure greater access to credit as well as markets for our fishermen,” he said in a social media post.
Modi advocated for the integration of ‘fish tech’—akin to the agricultural technology revolution—to elevate production, processing, and marketing methods. He called for collaboration with civil aviation authorities to utilize drones following technical guidelines, ensuring the freshest fish reaches urban markets quickly.
The discussion also touched on enhancing processing and packaging standards while encouraging private sector investments to fuel growth. Modi underscored the potential of leveraging ornamental fisheries as an alternative source of income and encouraged a focused strategy to address the high demand for fish in landlocked regions where supply remains limited.
Further, the Prime Minister Modi highlighted the untapped opportunities within the seaweed industry, suggesting its exploration for use as fuel, nutritional supplements, and pharmaceutical inputs. He urged all concerned departments to unite and harness technology to realize the sector’s full potential while ensuring complete ownership.
To streamline growth, Modi proposed maintaining a “negative list” of obstacles impeding the fisheries sector, enabling targeted action to enhance ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living’ for fishermen. A detailed presentation showcased progress made since the last review, including compliance with previous recommendations and plans for sustainable exploitation of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone and international waters.
Since 2015, government investments in the fisheries domain have surged to over Rs 38,572 crore through various initiatives. India’s annual fish production reached an impressive 195 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, boasting a robust growth rate exceeding 9 percent.
The meeting also featured the presence of the Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Panchayati Raj, and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and related ministries.
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