In News:

India’s fisheries sector has been a key driver of food security, livelihoods, and exports. The Blue Revolution (2015) enhanced fish production and modernized infrastructure but left gaps in post-harvest management, market access, fisher welfare, and sustainability.

To bridge these, the government launched the Pradhan Mantri MatsyaSampada Yojana (PMMSY) in September 2020, with an investment of ?20,050 crore. It sought to make the sector ecologically sustainable, economically viable, and socially inclusive. The scheme has now been extended up to 2025–26.

Objectives

PMMSY aims to:

• Harness fisheries potential in a sustainable, equitable, and responsible manner.
• Enhance fish production, diversification, and efficient use of land and water.
• Strengthen value chains through modernized post-harvest infrastructure and quality improvements.
• Double incomes of fishers and generate large-scale employment.
• Enhance contribution to Agriculture GVA and exports.
• Provide social, physical, and economic security for fishers.
• Establish a robust fisheries management and regulatory framework.

The scheme functions through two components:

• Central Sector Scheme (CS): Fully funded by the Centre.
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS): Cost-sharing with states, further divided into beneficiary and non-beneficiary oriented activities.

Milestones and Achievements

In its first five years, PMMSY has significantly reshaped India’s fisheries sector:

• Production: Fish output rose from 141.64 lakh tonnes (2019–20) to a record 195 lakh tonnes in 2024–25, making India the second-largest fish producer globally (8% of world production).
• Exports: Grew from ?46,662 crore (2019–20) to ?60,524 crore (2023–24), strengthening India’s global seafood footprint.
• Livelihoods: Created nearly 58 lakh jobs and supported 99,018 women beneficiaries, with up to 60% subsidy support for women entrepreneurs.
• Technology adoption: Supported 52,058 reservoir cages, 22,057 RAS &Biofloc units, 1,525 sea cages, and raceways, making aquaculture more productive and climate-resilient.
• Post-harvest infrastructure: Approved projects worth over ?3,281 crore for 58 fishing harbours, 734 cold storages, 21 wholesale fish markets, 192 retail markets, 6,410 kiosks, and digital fish trade platforms.
• Community resilience: Declared 100 Climate Resilient Coastal Fishermen Villages and promoted sustainable technologies like Biofloc, which reduces water use and boosts productivity.

Supplementary Initiatives

• Pradhan Mantri MatsyaKisanSamridhiSah Yojana (PM-MKSSY): Launched in 2024 as a central sub-scheme with an outlay of ?6,000 crore (2023–27). Focuses on formalisation, aquaculture insurance, value chain efficiency, and quality assurance.
• National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP): Introduced in 2024 to digitise the sector, provide work-based digital identities, enhance credit access, ensure traceability, and integrate cooperatives. By September 2025, it had 2.7 million registrations.

Challenges

• Climate stress: Rising sea temperatures and extreme weather threaten coastal ecosystems.
• Infrastructure gaps: Cold storage and transport remain inadequate in remote areas.
• Overfishing: Risks depletion of marine resources.
• Limited reach: Many small-scale fishers lack awareness and access to formal schemes.