What New Fisheries Projects is the Centre Rolling Out in Coastal States?

Mumbai, April 28 (NationPress) - On Monday, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, inaugurated and laid the groundwork for significant fisheries initiatives across 7 coastal states and Union Territories. These projects have a collective budget of Rs 255 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

Key initiatives unveiled included the 5th Marine Fisheries Census Operations, PMMSY Guidelines on Turtle Excluder Devices, and the introduction of the Standard Operating Procedure for Vessel Communication and Support Systems during the Coastal States Fisheries Meet.

On this occasion, the Union Minister distributed tablets equipped with the Digital Application VyAS-NAV and awarded the first-ever aqua insurance (one-time incentive sanction-cum-release order) to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY).

The launch of the 5th Marine Census operation entails training supervisors and recruiting village-level data enumerators, followed by an actual census over three months, concluding by December 2025.

In a significant move for India's 5th Marine Fisheries Census (MFC 2025), the mobile application VyAS-NAV has been introduced for digital data collection to enhance transparency and efficiency. Transitioning from traditional methods to a geo-referenced, app-based digital system, MFC 2025 aims to encompass 1.2 million fisher households nationwide, enabling real-time validation.

Developed by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), which oversees the marine fisheries census in nine coastal states, the VyAS-NAV app will be utilized by supervisors to verify fishing villages, fish landing centers, and fishing harbors.

This initiative is a foundational effort to ensure comprehensive coverage and accuracy in the census framework. The app includes features for recording a summary of villages based on primary and secondary data sources. Supervisors will include staff from CMFRI, the Fishery Survey of India, and state fisheries departments.

The Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) 2025 aims for meticulous, accurate, and timely documentation of every marine fisher family, fishing village, craft, gear, and infrastructure related to fishing harbors and landing centers nationwide.

Unlike previous years, customized mobile and tablet applications created by CMFRI will be utilized for data collection, aiming to minimize manual errors and expedite data compilation for policy-making.

These initiatives form part of the Marine Fisheries Census, which will cover 3,500 villages and 1.2 million households over various periods.

The operations will run from April to December. Staff from CMFRI, FSI, and DoF has commenced the finalization of village lists and landing center data starting Monday. The main activity, set for November–December 2025, will involve trained enumerators, preferably from local communities, visiting each marine fisher household with smart devices. This process will be preceded by a robust preparatory phase, focusing on collecting detailed information about fishers, their demographic and socioeconomic status, alternative livelihood options, and the impact of government schemes on their lives through a strong online digital platform. Officials will also train enumerators in digital data collection and validate village and infrastructure details using VyAS-NAV.

Other Union Ministers present at the event included Ministers of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, S.P. Singh Baghel and George Kurian, along with Governors and Fisheries Ministers from various coastal states and UTs.