Fisheries Sector in India—An Overview

Considered the sunrise sector of the economy, the fisheries sector in India has transformed itself from its traditional role as a subsistence, supplementary activity to an important commercial activity today. The sector contributes to the livelihood of more than 16 million fishermen at the primary level, and twofold the number across the supply chain (GoI in National Fisheries Policy 2020 Draft. Department of Fisheries, Government of India, 2020). The fisheries sector, comprising marine, inland, and brackish water fish, is also an important source of food security and nutrition in the country, with fish being an affordable and rich source of animal protein (Kumar et al. in World Aquac 41:45–51, 2010). The importance of the fisheries sector is also reflected in its increasing contribution to both the gross domestic product (GDP) and foreign exchange earnings of the country. In 2017–18, the share of the sector to GDP was 1.03%, a 157% increase from its 0.4% contribution in 1950–51, while its share in agricultural GDP was 6.58%. The contribution of fisheries to exports has also been steadily increasing with the sector accounting for 5% of total exports and 19.23% of total agricultural exports in 2017–18 (MOPSI, 2020, as cited in GoI in National Fisheries Policy 2020 Draft. Department of Fisheries, Government of India, 2020). This chapter discusses the contribution of the fisheries sector to the Indian economy in terms of generation of income and employment over the years. It also talks about the export performance and the tariff and non-tariff barriers faced by the sector.