PM's Fisheries Scheme Catapults India As World's 2Nd Largest Fish Producer

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) completed five years of its launch on Tuesday as a landmark initiative that has ushered in the“Blue Revolution” in India's fisheries sector, with the country becoming the second largest fish producer in the world.

The scheme, which was launched on September 10, 2020, has enabled India to achieve record fish production of 195 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, a sharp rise from 141.64 lakh tonnes in 2019-20, contributing nearly 8 per cent of global fish production. The country's aquaculture productivity has jumped from a national average of 3 to 4.7 tonnes per hectare as of February 2025, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday.

India's fisheries exports have shown robust growth, increasing from Rs 46,662.85 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 60,524.89 crore in 2023-24, strengthening the country's position in the global seafood market.

PMMSY has also succeeded in creating 58 lakh employment opportunities as of December 2024, surpassing the target of 55 lakh. It has also led to the empowerment of 99,018 women through an outlay of Rs 4,061.96 crore sanctioned from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the statement said.

The scheme has been working towards making the fisheries sector ecologically healthy, economically viable and socially inclusive by addressing critical gaps in production and productivity, quality, technology infusion, and post-harvest infrastructure.

PMMSY promotes women's participation in fisheries by providing up to 60 per cent of the total project cost as financial assistance (up to Rs 1.5 crore/project) under beneficiary-oriented activities and the Entrepreneur Model. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, proposals worth Rs 4,061.96 crore, covering 99,018 women, were sanctioned. States have undertaken extensive training, awareness, and capacity-building initiatives, with dedicated financial support to women beneficiaries.

Under PMMSY, the Department of Fisheries has identified 100 coastal fishermen villages as Climate Resilient Coastal Fishermen Villages (CRCFV) to strengthen climate resilience and make them economically vibrant. Technology adoption has been scaled up with the establishment of 52,058 reservoir cages, 22,057 Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) and Biofloc units and raceways and 1,525 sea cages approved with a total investment of Rs 3,040.87 crore.

To strengthen value chains and cut post-harvest losses, PMMSY has approved extensive infrastructure, which includes a total outlay of Rs 3281.31 crore for 58 fishing harbours and landing centres. An allocation of Rs 1568.11 crore for 734 ice plants/cold storages, 21 modern wholesale fish markets (including 3 Smart Markets), 192 fish retail markets, 6,410 fish kiosks, 134 value-added enterprise units, 27,297 post-harvest fish transport units, and 5 e-platforms for digital fish trade, the statement explained.

Additionally, 2,195 fisheries cooperatives as Fish Farmers Producer Organisations (FFPOs) have been supported with a project outlay of Rs 544.85 crore, enabling better market linkages, bargaining power, and sustainable value chains for higher returns, the statement added.

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