The Blue Revolution: India's Fisheries

How India became one of the world's largest fish producers through the rise of inland aquaculture, and the government's push to modernise fisheries.

India is one of the world’s largest producers of fish. Fisheries support the livelihoods of millions of fishers and fish farmers.

Two sources

Marine fisheries: fishing along India’s long coastline and in its exclusive economic zone.
Inland fisheries and aquaculture: fish from rivers, lakes, reservoirs and ponds.

Over recent decades, inland aquaculture, or fish farming, has grown much faster than marine capture and now accounts for the majority of India’s fish production.

The rise of fish farming

Andhra Pradesh became India’s aquaculture hub, with thousands of fish and shrimp ponds.
Farmers raise species such as rohu, catla and pangasius in freshwater ponds.
Aquaculture can earn far more per hectare than many crops, leading some farmers to convert paddy fields to ponds.

Government support

The Blue Revolution scheme promoted fisheries development from 2015.
The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, launched in 2020, committed over 20,000 crore rupees to fisheries infrastructure, cold chains, harbours, fish seed and insurance.
Kisan Credit Cards were extended to fishers and fish farmers.

Marine fisheries challenges

Overfishing in coastal waters has depleted some stocks.
Small-scale fishers compete with larger trawlers.
Seasonal fishing bans during monsoon breeding periods protect stocks but interrupt incomes.
Climate change and warming seas affect fish distribution.

Nutrition

Fish is an important source of protein and micronutrients, especially in coastal and eastern states like West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala and the Northeast.

Post-harvest losses

Without cold chains, much fish spoils before reaching markets. Investment in ice plants, cold storage and refrigerated transport reduces losses and raises fishers’ incomes.

The converted paddy field

A farmer in the Godavari delta converts two hectares of paddy land into a fish pond. Although costs for feed and seed are high, his income per hectare rises several times, and he sells fish to traders who ship it to markets in eastern India.

Thinking most of India's fish comes from the sea

Inland aquaculture now produces the majority of India's fish.

Key takeaways

India is one of the world's largest fish producers.
Inland aquaculture has grown fastest and now provides most output.
The 2020 PMMSY scheme invested over 20,000 crore rupees in fisheries.
Overfishing, climate change and post-harvest losses are challenges.