Context: Recently, India’s marine fish production registered a marginal increase of 2.1% in 2019 compared to the previous year.
Key Points

• According to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), the country recorded 3.56 million tonnes in total landings during the year.
• Tamil Nadu took the first position in landings with 7.75 lakh tonnes, followed by Gujarat (7.49 lakh tonnes) and Kerala (5.44 lakh tonnes).
• Indian mackerel, which was in the first spot in 2018, suffered a setback with the landings declining by 43% during last year.
• While States such as West Bengal (55%), Andhra Pradesh (34%), Odisha (14.5%), Karnataka (11%) and Tamil Nadu (10.4%) recorded an increase in landings, the fish catch decreased in Maharashtra, Goa and Kerala compared to the previous year.

Challenges of sustainability currently faced by India’s fisheries sector

• Unsustainable fishing practices: The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s report notes 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.
• Low productivity: The productivity of inland fishery and fish farming sectors is low — in terms of per fisherman, 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.
• Lack of modern equipments: 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. While the near-shore coastal waters are highly overfished, the high value fish stock proliferates in the deep sea.
• Lack of variety: Limited number of species grown, mainly due to weak linkages between research and development and fish farmers’ community. High value species such as tuna cannot be caught by fishermen

Blue revolution can overcome the challenge of sustainability and has achieved some success:

• Adopts a two-pronged approach: Sustainable capture fishery to harness marine and inland water resources and expanding the horizon of fish farming through increased coverage, enhanced productivity, species diversification and better market returns.
• Productivity of brackish water coastal aquaculture has touched 10 to 12 metric tonnes per hectare — a sharp increase from the previous two to four tonnes per hectare.
• Thirty thousand hectares have been added to the area under fish farming. The government has invested in hatcheries to meet the ever-increasing demand for good quality fish seed.
• The introduction of cage culture in reservoirs and other open water bodies has led to an increase in output. Nearly 8,000 cages have been installed and even though a cage gives a modest yield of three tonnes of fish, this translates into a more than 1,000 per cent increase in productivity.
• 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.
• Innovative practices such as recirculatory aquaculture system aim to realise the goal of more crop per drop. As a result, the productivity of freshwater fish farms has gone up to more than 3 metric tonnes per hectare from the 2.5 tonnes per hectare.

Additional Facts
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)

• The scheme intends to address critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernization and strengthening of value chain, traceability, establishing a robust fisheries management framework and fishers’ welfare.
• The Scheme will be implemented during a period of 5 years from the Financial Year (FY) 2020-21 to FY 2024-25.

Aims and objectives of PMMSY

• Harnessing of fisheries potential in a sustainable, responsible, inclusive and equitable manner
• Enhancing of fish production and productivity through expansion, intensification, diversification and productive utilization of land and water
• Modernizing and strengthening of value chain – post-harvest management and quality improvement
• Doubling fishers and fish farmers’ incomes and generation of employment
• Enhancing contribution to Agriculture GVA and exports
• Social, physical and economic security for fishers and fish farmers
• Robust fisheries management and regulatory framework

Implementation
It will be implemented as an umbrella scheme with two separate Components namely;

• Central Sector Scheme (CS)
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS)
• Majority of the activities under the Scheme would be implemented with the active participation of States/UTs.
• For optimal outcomes, ‘Cluster or area-based approach’ would be followed with requisite forward and backward linkages and end to end solutions.