Fishing Industry

Imagine you are part of a family living on the coast—say in Kerala or Japan. For you, fish isn’t just a delicacy; it’s a daily source of protein, livelihood, and even tradition. Now scale that up—3 billion people globally depend on fish for at least 20% of their animal protein intake. That’s nearly 40% of the world’s population!

But fish isn’t only about food:

• It’s ground into poultry feed for chickens.
• It’s converted into fertilizers that help grow crops.

So, fisheries quietly support not just direct consumption but entire food chains and agricultural systems.

🎣 What Makes a Region Suitable for Fishing?

Now let’s talk about what makes certain regions excellent for fishing. These factors are divided into two broad categories—Physical and Economic.

🌊 Physical Factors

Nature lays the foundation for good fishing grounds. Think of these as environmental blessings that encourage fish populations and make catching them easier.

1. Banks

• These are shallow sea areas with gentle slopes, located around 150–300 km from the coast.
• Why are they important? Because shallow waters get more sunlight, promoting plankton growth—the base of the aquatic food chain.
• Famous Examples:
  • Dogger Bank in the North Sea
  • Grand and George Banks in North America

Think of these as underwater “farmlands” where fish grow in abundance.

2. Calm Waters

Fish, like humans, prefer peace when starting a family. Calm waters are ideal places for laying eggs and nurturing young ones.

3. Dissected Coastlines

Now imagine a coast broken into many tiny inlets, bays, and fjords—like Yokohama (Japan) or Bergen (Norway). These short, narrow channels offer:

• Calm waters
• Protection from predators and storms
• Better breeding and fishing conditions

Such coasts become natural hatcheries and prime fishing zones.

4. Water Depth

Fishing thrives in waters up to 200 metres deep—because sunlight can still reach that depth, allowing plankton to grow. This is why temperate countries (like Norway, Canada) with such depths have active fishing ports.

5. Low Sediment Levels

If a river brings too much sediment, it can make the water murky and disrupt sunlight. Less sediment = more sunlight = more plankton = more fish.

6. River Mouths

Rivers like the Ganga or Amazon bring nutrient-rich salts like nitrates and phosphates into the sea—these act like fertilizers for plankton, which in turn attract fish.

7. Plankton

These are like the “grass” of the sea, feeding small fish, which in turn feed bigger fish. Wherever plankton thrive, fish follow.

• When warm and cold currents meet, nutrient mixing occurs, boosting plankton growth.
  • Example: Kuroshio (warm) meets Oyashio (cold)—makes Japan a global fishing hub.

8. Ocean Currents

These are nature’s delivery systems.

• They wash the coasts and bring plankton-rich waters.
• Meeting points of warm and cold currents create marine biodiversity hotspots.

Examples:

• Labrador (cold) + Gulf Stream (warm) = Rich fishing in Western Europe
• Kuroshio + Oyashio = Japan’s rich fisheries

9. Salinity

Too much salt is not good. It can dissolve fish eggs, reducing populations. So, moderate salinity is ideal.

10. Climate

• Ideal water temperature = 12–22°C
• But fish are highly adaptable—found in almost all climates, from Arctic to tropics.

💰 Economic Factors

Even if nature blesses a region with ideal conditions, fishing won’t thrive unless the human systems around it support the activity. These include:

1. Consumption Markets

• If there is high local or international demand, fishing becomes economically viable.
• Example: Japan and China have huge domestic seafood markets.

2. Capital Investment

• Modern fishing requires boats, nets, sonar, refrigeration, etc.
• Countries that invest more in marine infrastructure become global leaders in fishing.

3. Refrigeration

• Fish spoils quickly. Without proper storage, even the best catch becomes waste.
• So, cold storage and freezing units are essential—especially for export industries.

4. Transportation and Ports

• Easy transport from fishing grounds to markets is crucial.
• Well-connected harbours act as collection and distribution centres.

🧠 So let’s conclude:

Fishing is not just about casting a net and pulling out dinner. It’s a complex interplay between nature and economy—where sunlight, plankton, ocean currents, river nutrients, and infrastructure all contribute.

Understanding these factors helps us see why:

• Japan, despite being small and mountainous, is a fishing superpower.
• Norway and Canada, with their dissected coasts and cold currents, are also global leaders.

🌍 Global Scenario of Fish Production

See, fish is not just a seafood but as a strategic natural resource—feeding billions, supporting economies, and shaping coastal livelihoods.

• China is the unchallenged leader in global fish production. Its dominance is due to:
  • A vast coastline
  • Heavy investment in aquaculture
  • Large internal consumption

Other major players include:

• India: With its extensive coastline and river systems
• Japan: Advanced technology and rich marine biodiversity
• Chile & Peru: Known for anchoveta catch along the nutrient-rich Humboldt Current
• USA, South Korea, and Norway: Equipped with advanced fishing fleets and processing industries

Now let’s zoom into major fishing zones of the world and understand what makes them special.

A. North West Pacific Ocean Fishing Area

Geographical Extent: From the Bering Sea in the north to the Philippine Sea in the south.

This region is like a natural fishery laboratory, thanks to one magical combination:

• Warm Kuroshio Current meets
• Cold Oyashio Current
• This convergence near Honshu island (Japan) creates plankton-rich waters—ideal for fish.

🌊 Why it matters: Warm + Cold = Nutrient Mixing = Plankton Bloom = Fish Heaven

🗺️ Main countries:

• Japan, China, Russia
• South Korea, Philippines, Vietnam

They dominate not only regional fishing but also global seafood exports.

B. North East Pacific Ocean

Location: On the western coast of North America, stretching from Alaska to California.

📍 Includes areas like:

• Bering Sea Coast
• Aleutian Islands
• Western Coast of North America

The ocean here is cold and rich in nutrients, supporting species like salmon, halibut, and cod.

🇺🇸 USA and 🇨🇦 Canada are the key fishing nations here. With advanced technologies, they combine traditional practices with modern aquaculture.

C. North West Atlantic Ocean

Extent: From Newfoundland (Canada) to Long Island (USA) and down to the Eastern coast of Central America.

This is one of the oldest and most famous fishing regions of the world.

🔹 Why?

• Confluence of Gulf Stream (warm) and Labrador Current (cold)
• This leads to rich plankton growth, creating the ideal fish nursery

🐡 Famous Fishing Banks:

• Nova Scotia Bank
• Newfoundland Bank
• Grand Bank and George Bank

🐟 Common species:

• Cod, Perch, Herring, Haddock
• Lobsters and Oysters, especially in bays

⚓ Major ports:

• Halifax, St. John, Boston, New York

These ports are not just fishing centres but also hubs for processing and export.

D. North East Atlantic Ocean

Location: From the Arctic Circle down to the Mediterranean coast of Europe.

This is Europe’s marine goldmine for fisheries.

🌍 Key Features:

• Famous banks: Dogger Bank, Great Fisher Bank
• Presence of North Atlantic Drift (a warm ocean current) keeps the coast ice-free year-round, allowing continuous fishing

🌐 Main fishing nations:

• Norway, Sweden, Denmark
• Netherlands, France, Iceland, UK

These countries have historically strong fishing cultures, supported by:

• Cutting-edge vessels
• Strict fishery management
• Eco-friendly aquaculture

🧠 Final Insight

So, fish production isn’t just about catching fish—it’s about:

• Understanding oceanography
• Utilizing the meeting points of ocean currents
• Harnessing national strengths in tech, tradition, and trade

Just like fertile soil supports agriculture, nutrient-rich ocean currents and shallow banks support fisheries.

That’s why a small country like Japan, surrounded by rich marine geography, becomes a fishing giant, while inland nations don’t feature prominently.

🇮🇳 Fishing in India

Let’s begin with a simple yet powerful fact:
👉 India is the second-largest producer of fish in the world.

This is not just a statistic—it’s a story of 16 million livelihoods, rural development, and growing economic relevance.

🌐 Contribution to Economy

• Fisheries contribute around 8% to global fish production.
• Within India, it makes up around 1% of total GDP and about 7 % of agricultural GDP.
• Average annual growth of the sector is above 7%, making it one of the fastest-growing food sectors.

🐠 Two Main Branches:

1. Inland Fisheries (65% of total production)
   • Rivers, lakes, ponds, tanks, reservoirs
2. Marine Fisheries (35% of total)
   • Coastal waters, deep sea (within EEZ)

So, unlike countries dependent solely on marine resources, India’s strength lies in its inland water resources.

🧩 Structure and Nature of the Sector

• Indian fisheries are predominantly small-scale and unorganized.
• It sustains both:
  • Primary livelihood (fishing/farming)
  • Secondary support roles (marketing, retail, transport)
• Roughly 50% of Indian fishermen live in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.
• Major fish markets: Cochin, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata

This sector not only feeds the nation but also fuels rural employment, especially in coastal and riverine regions.

🛡️ Governance of the Sector

Here lies a classic example of Centre-State division of powers:

Fisheries Type	Responsibility
Inland Fisheries	Fully under State Governments
Marine Fisheries	Shared: Up to 12 nautical miles → Coastal States/UTs 12 to 200 nautical miles (EEZ) → Central Government

This dual governance often leads to coordination challenges in policy implementation.

🚫 Challenges in Indian Fisheries Sector

Despite being a global leader in fish production, the sector faces several deep-rooted issues:

1. Low Productivity & Infrastructure Deficit

• Inadequate cold storage, poor transport = 15–20% post-harvest loss
• Fisheries remain labour-intensive but not capital-efficient

2. Credit & Input Bottlenecks

• Limited access to quality fish seed and feed
• Fishermen struggle with credit availability, limiting investment

3. Policy Gaps in Inland Fisheries

• No standard code for leasing water bodies
• No drought protection measures unlike other agricultural sectors

4. Environmental Stress

• Overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution = Depleting marine resources
• Dead zones (hypoxic zones) due to human activities → fish migrate or die off

5. Technological Concerns

• Usage of low-quality Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) boats causes ecological harm
• Lack of modernization leads to inefficiencies and hazards

6. Biological Limitations

• Tropical fishes in India are diverse but occur in small groups—limiting commercial viability
• They have higher oil content, making them less preferred for daily consumption, despite their Omega-3 health benefits

🎯 Conclusion: The Way Forward

The Indian fishing sector stands at a crossroads—rich in potential but constrained by:

• Poor infrastructure
• Environmental challenges
• Policy fragmentation

What India needs is:

• Robust cold chain infrastructure
• Better seed/feed access
• Modern boats and sustainable practices
• A unified national fishery policy, especially for inland waters

Just like a fertile farm needs proper irrigation and seeds to flourish, India’s fishery sector needs coordinated governance, technological investment, and ecological sustainability to truly thrive.

🎣 Understanding Government Steps in the Fisheries Industry

We know India is a nation surrounded by water on three sides and dotted with countless rivers, ponds, and wetlands. So, naturally, fisheries emerge not just as a livelihood but also as a pillar of food security and rural development. Now let’s see how the government nurtures this sector.

1. Inland Fishing — Focus on Landlocked Waters

This is about fishing in freshwater bodies—rivers, lakes, ponds, wetlands, and even waterlogged or saline-alkaline lands.

✅ Major Government Interventions:

• Centrally Sponsored Scheme: Like a central fund supporting state efforts, focusing on:
  • Using saline/alkaline soils (generally useless for farming) for aquaculture—that’s farming of fish, prawns, etc.
  • Developing inland capture resources—natural water bodies like floodplains and reservoirs are turned into fishery hotspots.
• Dr. Dilip Kumar Committee: Tasked with formulating a National Policy—like setting rules and priorities for inland fisheries.
• Mainstreaming non-traditional waters: Lakes, canals, wetlands—previously neglected—are now included in the aquaculture strategy.
• Focus on quality inputs:
  • Good quality seed (baby fish) and nutritious feed.
  • Developing disease-resistant fish strains, much like how we breed high-yield crops.

2. Marine Fishing

Marine fishing takes place in the sea and ocean waters, especially the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)—200 nautical miles from the coastline that belongs to India.

✅ Government Measures:

• National Marine Fishing Policy (2017): The guiding document for sustainable marine fishing.
• Letter of Permit (LOP) scrapped: Earlier, industrial trawlers got permits. Now removed to protect small fishers’ livelihoods.
• Exemption from Monsoon Ban: Traditional fishers (small boats, minimal gear) can fish even during monsoon in the EEZ.
• Banned practices:
  • LED lights, bull-trawling, purse seining, and gill netting—techniques that harm juvenile fish and marine ecology.
• Digital and Census Initiatives:
  • Boat tracking devices, Fisheries census, and a digital database help in policy planning and fisher safety.
• Uniform 61-day Fishing Ban: A national-level annual pause, like a “no-harvest” season for marine conservation.

3. Recent Initiatives (2024–25)

Let’s look at what the government has done in the most recent year.

✅ Budget & Flagship Schemes:

• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY):
  • With a mammoth ₹20,050 crore budget.
  • Goals: Increase fish output, rural jobs, cold storage, and processing units.
• Fisheries Infrastructure Fund (FIDF):
  • ₹5,801 crore approved across 136 projects—for ports, markets, hatcheries, etc.
• National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP):
  • To ensure easy access and transparency in availing schemes.
• ₹1,059.94 crore direct aid (2020–24) to about 6 lakh fisher families during fishing bans—for survival and nutrition.
• Focus on EEZ and high seas near Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep—untapped marine wealth.
• Customs duty reduced on certain fish products to encourage exports.

4. Recommendations & Future Vision

To ensure long-term, sustainable development:

✅ Expert Recommendations:

• Aquaculture = Agriculture: Suggest giving it the same financial benefits—subsidies, loans, tax breaks, etc.
• Dr. B. Meena Kumari Committee:
  • Suggested buffer zones (200–500m from shore) to protect breeding zones.
  • Use scientific net sizes to avoid catching baby fish.
• Innovative Ideas:
  • Promote Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs)—to attract fish in one place.
  • Create Artificial Reefs (ARs)—underwater structures where fish breed.
  • Encourage Mariculture—farming fish in marine water.
• Insurance + Safety: Fisher-specific insurance schemes and regional cooperation with neighbouring nations for marine safety.
• Modernization of fleets and skills to explore deep-sea and offshore zones.
• Legal Reform:
  • Revamp the Marine Fishing Regulation Acts (MFRA) of states.
  • Introduce a Model Bill and a Central Law for EEZ regulation.

5. Blue Revolution (Neel Kranti Mission) — The Vision Document

Just like we had a Green Revolution for agriculture, this is the water-based counterpart for fisheries development.

🎯 Vision:

Utilize water resources to ensure food security, double incomes, and bring economic prosperity.

More about this read here.

6. Other Noteworthy Efforts

• Developing a smart city around Kandla port to boost marine trade.
• Sagarmala Project (2015): Coastal development + port-led prosperity.
• 50% subsidy on boats to fishermen cooperatives.

🧠 Final Takeaway

The Indian government’s fisheries policy is not just about catching more fish—it’s about doing it sustainably, equitably, and smartly. From inland ponds to deep seas, from digital platforms to physical subsidies, every step is a stitch in the larger fabric of blue economy and livelihood security.