India boosts marine fisheries with Rs 255 crore projects

New Delhi: The Coastal States Fisheries Meet 2025 was held on 28th April 2025 in Mumbai, chaired by the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. On this occasion, the Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation for key projects across 7 coastal States and UTs, with a total outlay of Rs 255 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

This information was provided by George Kurian, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on 30th July 2025.

As part of PMMSY, the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India, is implementing a National Rollout Plan for a Vessel Communication and Support System, aimed at equipping one lakh mechanized and motorized marine fishing vessels with indigenously developed transponders. With a budget of Rs 364 crore, the initiative covers all 13 coastal States and Union Territories; so far, 33,674 transponders have been installed.

To address inter-state fishing disputes, the DoF has established three Regional Fisheries Management Councils (RFMCs)—Western, Eastern, and Southern—co-chaired by central and state officials on an annual rotation basis.

The Government of Gujarat has amended the Gujarat Fisheries Act, 2003, to create a dedicated State Fisheries Harbour and Aquaculture Development Authority, with a multi-departmental committee to guide harbour and aquaculture infrastructure development.

Additionally, the DoF, in partnership with ICAR-CMFRI, Kochi, has launched the Marine Fisheries Census 2025. This digital, app-based, and geo-referenced initiative aims to comprehensively map marine fisher households, villages, crafts, gear, and infrastructure across all coastal States and UTs. In Gujarat alone, the census will cover about 70,000 households across 280 villages in 15 districts. Platforms such as VyAS-NAV will support real-time data collection.