Oh fish! Maharashtra marine production slips to 5th place

Fish production in Maharashtra dipped from 6.63 lakh metric tonne in 2016-17 to 5.9 lakh metric tonne in 2022-23

Mumbai: Maharashtra, the third largest producer of fish in the country a decade ago, has slipped to the fifth position among various states. The dip is higher for inland fish production, where the state has slipped from the seventh to the seventeenth position, while in marine production, it has slipped from the third to the sixth position.

Fishing boats in Thane (PTI)

According to a presentation made by the department to the state government, fish production in Maharashtra dipped from 6.63 lakh metric tonne in 2016-17 to 5.9lakh metric tonne in 2022-23. Around 2.42 lakh metric tonne fish worth ₹6,212 crore was exported in 2022-23, accounting for a tenth of the country’s fish exports. Other major fish-producing states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala saw substantial hikes in fish production over the same period.

Taking a cue from these developments, the state government has decided to introduce a fishing policy for the first time. A committee has been formed under the leadership of former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik to prepare a draft policy, said sources in the state fisheries department. The committee held its first meeting last week and it is expected to submit its report within six months.

“The drop in production was because of the Covid-19 pandemic and other incidental reasons,” said fisheries minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. “It is true that some states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have surpassed us in terms of production, but we will improve the production soon with a thrust on export,” he noted.

States like Andhra Pradesh managed to surpass Maharashtra in fish production owing to exponential growth in inland production and lack of infrastructure and facilities in the state, said sources in the fisheries department.

“Andhra Pradesh encouraged inland fishing by converting paddy fields into fish farms. But we have not been able to tap the potential we have in various districts owing to lack of infrastructure and manpower,” said a senior official from the department.

Underreporting of production and consecutive cyclones like Taukte and Nisarg in the coastal belt over the past few years also affected production badly, the official added.

The fisheries department has proposed granting agriculture status to fish farms and extending incentives such as electricity waivers, subsidies and soft loans to them, like in the case of farming. “Barring subsidy on diesel for fishing boats, the sector does not get any additional incentive. So we have moved a proposal accordingly,” said the officer quoted earlier.