Delhi, Jan 27: The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, has approved the proposal of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration for the “Development of Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour at Mayabunder” at an estimated cost of ₹199.24 crore with 100% Central Financial Assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
The Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour, developed in line with the Blue Port Initiative, will incorporate safe landing and berthing facilities, supported by latest technology and IoT-enabled systems. The harbour integrates sustainable fisheries management, enhanced fish-handling capacity, improved operational safety, energy-efficient systems, and digital traceability. It is expected to generate employment, enhance stakeholder incomes, strengthen livelihoods, and contribute to combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing through environmentally friendly approaches, thereby supporting India’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Development of the Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour will create safe landing and berthing facilities for 430 fishing vessels and cater to an annual fish landing of 9,900 tonnes. The project is expected to generate employment opportunities across the fisheries value chain and significantly benefit the fisheries sector.
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands possess a vast marine resource base with 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 catalyse investment and value chain development, the Department of Fisheries organized an Investors Meet on “Investment Opportunities in Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector of Andaman & Nicobar Islands” on 14 November 2024 at Swaraj Dweep, under the leadership of Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj. Investors specializing in tuna fishing technologies, seaweed, and allied infrastructure participated. Under PMMSY, the Department has also notified a Tuna Cluster in the Islands to strengthen infrastructure, training, investor partnerships, and global competitiveness.
India’s fisheries sector has experienced robust growth, supported by public investments of over ₹39,000 crore in production, infrastructure, technology, fisher welfare and post-harvest value chains. Fish production has more than doubled over the past decade from 96 lakh tonnes in 2013–14 to around 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024–25. Seafood exports have also doubled in value, reaching ₹62,408 crore, with over 350 product varieties exported to nearly 130 countries.
The approval of the Mayabunder Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour is a strategic intervention to unlock the fisheries potential of the Islands and strengthen India’s pathway towards achieving One Lakh crore seafood exports by 2030–31.
Background - PMMSY Interventions in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have witnessed substantial strengthening of fisheries infrastructure and livelihood support systems, with a total investment of ₹5,573.02 lakh. These investments have enabled the creation of a comprehensive fisheries ecosystem across production, post-harvest management, value addition, transportation, and fisher welfare.
Support under PMMSY has enabled large-scale development across aquaculture, hatcheries, open-sea cage farming, ornamental fisheries, value-add enterprises, cold-chain logistics, fish transport, and community support systems. Major outcomes include establishment of 5 freshwater finfish hatcheries, 7 backyard ornamental rearing units, 23.2 ha of new brackishwater ponds, 17.9 ha of freshwater grow-out ponds, and multiple units for fish feed production, insulated vehicles, refrigerated transport, fish kiosks, and bio-toilets for mechanised vessels. The scheme also facilitated livelihood and nutritional support to 1,000 traditional fisher families, deployment of 280 Sagar Mitras with IT-enabled service delivery, and modernisation/expansion of cold chain through new and upgraded 10–20 ton facilities.
PMMSY interventions have strengthened the value chain from harvest to market through ice plants, cold storages, insulated vehicles, e-rickshaws with ice boxes, and fish value-add units, while improving safety and traceability with 300 communication/tracking devices for fishing vessels. By enabling sustainable expansion in both inland and marine fisheries, PMMSY has laid the foundation for improved incomes, employment generation, greater resilience of coastal communities, and readiness for enhanced export-oriented development across the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
