India pushes for aquaculture expansion as Goa’s fish production sees fluctuations

INDIA – Fish production in Goa rose to 140.3 tonnes in 2022–23, reaching its highest level in eight years, before slipping to 135.7 tonnes in the following year, according to new government figures.

The latest data, published by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in its ‘EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics’ report, shows that despite fluctuations, the fishing sector has managed to maintain output above 135 tonnes in recent years.

Back in 2015–16, production stood at 111.9 tonnes and increased steadily to 124 tonnes by 2017–18, signalling a period of growth for the industry.

However, this upward trend was interrupted in 2018–19 when production dropped slightly to 120 tonnes, followed by a sharper decline to 105 tonnes in 2019–20, the lowest point recorded in the dataset.

That year marked a 15.3% fall in output, with industry sources pointing to various operational and environmental hurdles as contributing factors.

In 2020–21, production edged back up to 111 tonnes, and continued to improve in 2021–22, reaching 116.2 tonnes, before jumping to a record 140.3 tonnes a year later.

Although the subsequent fall to 135.7 tonnes in 2023–24 has raised concerns among stakeholders, many believe the sector has shown enough consistency to recover again.

Meanwhile, in a separate development towards the end of May, scientists from the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) launched a nationwide outreach programme targeting fish farmers and coastal communities.

The two-week initiative aims to promote awareness of modern aquaculture technologies and to increase adoption among small-scale producers.

CMFRI Director Dr. Grinson George stated that the sessions would include information on seaweed cultivation and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems, both seen as viable options for sustainable marine farming.

This campaign comes as part of India’s broader strategy to raise mariculture production from the current 150,000 tonnes to 2.5 million tonnes by the year 2047.

Achieving this target, according to CMFRI, will depend heavily on how quickly and effectively new practices are embraced at the local level.

In addition to training, the institute also plans to assist emerging startups in the fisheries sector by offering technical advice and operational support.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.