Lakshadweep has finalised an ambitious five-year perspective plan to more than double its annual tuna and tuna-like fish production to 50,000 tonnes, positioning the archipelago as a significant node in India's blue economy. The roadmap, prepared by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) as the nodal agency, was adopted at a stakeholder consultation held in Kochi on 7 July.

What the Plan Proposes

The strategy covers the full fisheries value chain — from marine capture and mariculture to post-harvest management, value addition, marketing, and infrastructure. It will be implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Centre's flagship fisheries development scheme.

Among the headline proposals is the induction of 50 new deep-sea fishing vessels below 24 metres to expand offshore tuna operations. The plan also envisages seaweed cultivation over five square kilometres, the establishment of 10 medium-scale ornamental fish rearing units, and the promotion of recreational and sport fishing to complement the islands' expanding tourism sector.

Infrastructure and Value Addition

The plan calls for major capital investments in fisheries infrastructure, including new boat-building yards, cold storage facilities, 50 value addition units, two mother vessels, upgraded cold chain systems, and marine mechanical workshops. These are intended to modernise the fishing fleet and reduce post-harvest losses — a persistent drag on the sector's profitability.

Institutional strengthening is also a priority. The roadmap proposes support for fishermen's cooperative societies, fish farmer producer organisations, women's enterprises, and community-based organisations, with the explicit goal of generating sustainable livelihoods for island fishing communities.

The Marine Resource Base

The plan draws on Lakshadweep's considerable natural endowment: approximately 4,200 sq. km of lagoon area, 20,000 sq. km of territorial waters, and more than 300 species of ornamental reef fish. According to the plan document, these resources remain significantly underutilised, offering scope for diversification into seaweed farming and ornamental fisheries alongside the core tuna sector.

What Officials Said

Lakshadweep Fisheries Secretary Raj Tilak, who inaugurated the stakeholder consultation, said enhancing fish production would be the administration's top priority over the next five years. CMFRI Director Dr Grinson George said the islands' rich marine resources remain underutilised and assured that the institute would provide scientific and technical support for expanding mariculture, seaweed cultivation, ornamental fish breeding, and other innovative fisheries-based livelihood initiatives.

The consultation was attended by representatives from the Union Fisheries Department, the National Fisheries Development Board, the MPEDA, the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, and other fisheries agencies, alongside fishermen, entrepreneurs, and cooperative society leaders from the islands.

What Comes Next

With the perspective plan now finalised, attention shifts to implementation timelines and fund allocation under PMMSY. The success of the strategy will depend on how quickly deep-sea vessel inductions and cold chain investments can be operationalised — and whether institutional support reaches small-scale fishers and self-help groups as intended.