New Delhi, Jan 27 (NationPress) - The Union Department of Fisheries has given the green light to the Andaman & Nicobar Administration's initiative to create a state-of-the-art, integrated fishing harbour at Mayabunder. The project, boasting a budget of Rs 199.24 crore, was announced in an official statement on Tuesday.

The proposed smart fishing harbour aligns with the Blue Port Initiative and will feature advanced landing and berthing facilities, enhanced by cutting-edge technology and IoT-based systems. This project will receive 100 percent Central financial backing under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

Key aspects of the harbour will include sustainable fisheries management, increased fish-handling capacity, improved operational safety, energy-efficient systems, and digital traceability.

It is anticipated that this initiative will create job opportunities, boost stakeholder incomes, strengthen livelihoods, and help tackle illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing through environmentally sustainable methods, thereby aiding India’s efforts toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as noted in the statement.

The development of this smart fishing harbour will facilitate safe landing and berthing for 430 fishing vessels and is projected to handle an annual fish landing of 9,900 tonnes. This project is set to generate considerable employment throughout the fisheries value chain, significantly benefiting the fisheries sector.

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are rich in marine resources, boasting an impressive 6 lakh sq. km of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and an estimated 60,000 MT of tuna and tuna-like species, including 24,000 MT of Yellowfin and 2,000 MT of Skipjack tuna.

To encourage investment and develop the value chain, the Department of Fisheries hosted an Investors Meet on “Investment Opportunities in Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector of Andaman & Nicobar Islands” on 14 November 2024 at Swaraj Dweep.

Under the PMMSY framework, a tuna cluster has also been established in the Islands to enhance infrastructure, training, investor partnerships, and global competitiveness.

India's fisheries sector has shown remarkable growth, buoyed by public investments exceeding Rs 39,000 crore in production, infrastructure, technology, fisher welfare, and post-harvest value chains.

Fish production has surged over the past decade, rising from 96 lakh tonnes in 2013-14 to approximately 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. The value of seafood exports has also doubled, reaching Rs 62,408 crore, with over 350 product varieties shipped to nearly 130 countries.

The sanctioning of the Mayabunder Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour marks a pivotal move to unlock the fisheries potential of the Islands and bolsters India's ambition to achieve one lakh crore seafood exports by 2030-31, according to the statement.