Maharashtra
Coastal States Fisheries Meet 2025
- 29 Apr 2025
- 5 min read
Why in News?
The "Coastal States Fisheries Meet: 2025" was held in Mumbai, chaired by the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAH&D) and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
- Earlier, the Maharashtra government decided to give agriculture status to fisheries business.
Note: As of April 2024, Maharashtra stands at 6th position in marine fishing while 17th position in inland fishing.
Key Points
Highlights of the Meet
- Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh inaugurated and laid the foundation for key projects across seven coastal states and Union Territories, with a total outlay of Rs. 255 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
- The meeting marked the commencement of the 5th Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) operations, which will include training supervisors, recruiting and training village-level data enumerators, and conducting the census over a three-month period.
- The entire operation is expected to be completed by December 2025.
- The Union Minister also distributed tablets equipped with the Digital Application VyAS-NAV and presented the first-ever aqua insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), along with the One-Time Incentive Sanction-cum-Release Order to beneficiaries.
MFC 2025 & VyAS-NAV App
- In a significant preparatory move for MFC 2025, the VyAS-NAV mobile application has been launched to facilitate digital-based data collection, aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency. This marks a shift from traditional methods to a geo-referenced, app-based system.
- The MFC 2025 will cover 1.2 million fisher households nationwide, ensuring real-time validation of data.
- Coordinated by the Department of Fisheries (DoF) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the census is part of the PMMSY.
- VyAS-NAV, developed by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), the nodal agency for implementing the marine fisheries census across nine coastal states, will be used by supervisors for field verification of fishing villages, fish landing centres, and fishing harbours.
Aquaculture Insurance
- The PM-MKSSY, a sub-scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, provides comprehensive aquaculture insurance aimed at mitigating risks and offering financial support, especially to small and marginalized farmers.
- This sub-scheme ensures digital accessibility through the National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP), allowing seamless access to insurance for fishers and fish farmers, thereby safeguarding their incomes against unforeseen losses.
- Eligible beneficiaries include registered aquafarmers, firms, companies, societies, cooperatives, Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs), and other entities involved in the fisheries value chain, as identified by the DoF.
- For intensive aquaculture systems, such as recirculatory aquaculture systems, the premium is capped at ₹1 lakh per farmer for 1800 m³.
- Farmers can choose between two insurance options:
- Basic Insurance – covers losses due to natural calamities and other parametric risks.
- Comprehensive Insurance – includes Basic Insurance and additional disease coverage.
- Additionally, Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and women beneficiaries are eligible for an extra 10% incentive, further promoting inclusivity. The insurance is valid for one crop cycle, providing stability to incomes and encouraging further investment in aquaculture.
State of India’s Fisheries Sector
- As of 2023, India is the 3rd largest fish producer and 2nd largest aquaculture nation in the world after China.
- India ranks 4th globally in fish exports, contributing 7.7% to global fish production.
- Top fish-producing states: Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka.
- Government's Initiatives:
