India’s fisheries and aquaculture industry is making waves worldwide, with Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh announcing the nation’s elevation to a leading exporter status. Over ten years, seafood export values have doubled, fueled by strategic policies, upgraded processing facilities, and efficient supply chains, as shared in a diplomatic conclave involving 40 countries’ envoys.
To promote enduring growth, new frameworks like the National Traceability Framework 2025, Special Economic Zone Rules 2025, and High Seas Fishing Guidelines are fortifying compliance and transparency, with special emphasis on Andaman-Nicobar and Lakshadweep regions.
The minister invited collaborations on advanced tech in aquaculture and mariculture, processing advancements, cold chains, ship designs, digital tracking, joint studies, knowledge transfer, climate-proofing, sustainable oversight, trade amplification, and private sector synergies.
The gathering spotlighted expanding bilateral engagements in fisheries. Core areas for partnership: mitigating climate effects on seas, sustainable goals, ethical fishing, tech dissemination, eco-innovations, training programs, logistics evolution, ornamental fisheries, and seaweed farming.
Minister of State Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel stressed seafood’s nutritional prowess, its backbone role in global food systems, employment surges, and economic fortification. A holistic value-chain strategy from farm to fork ensures sector resilience.
George Kurien praised aquaculture’s upward trajectory with consistent output gains. Exports are on track for Rs 1 lakh crore, bolstered by a 21% rise in value over recent seven months, painting a picture of unstoppable progress.