{"id":360671,"date":"2026-04-13T19:31:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=360671"},"modified":"2026-04-13T19:31:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:01:31","slug":"tapping-fisheries-in-reservoirs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/tapping-fisheries-in-reservoirs\/","title":{"rendered":"Tapping Fisheries in Reservoirs"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPSC Syllabus: Gs Paper 3- Indian economy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tapping fisheries in reservoirs has emerged as a key strategy in Budget 2026\u201327, which proposes integrated development of 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars<\/strong> to increase fish farmers\u2019 income. India is now the second-largest fish producer globally<\/strong>, with 197.75 lakh tonnes production<\/strong>, and 75% coming from inland fisheries<\/strong>, making reservoirs a critical resource for livelihood, food security, and economic growth.<\/p>\n

Current Status of India\u2019s Fisheries Sector<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Production growth and global position:<\/strong> India has become the second-largest fish and aquaculture producer<\/strong>, with production rising by 106% since 2013\u201314 to 197.75 lakh tonnes (2024\u201325)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  2. Dominance of inland fisheries:<\/strong> About 75% of total production<\/strong> comes from inland fisheries including freshwater, brackish, and saline water resources.<\/li>\n
  3. Economic contribution and growth rate:<\/strong> The sector has recorded an average growth of 7.87% since 2014\u201315<\/strong>, with GVA increasing from \u20b998,190 crore to <\/strong>\u20b93.41 lakh crore<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  4. Employment and livelihood support:<\/strong> Fisheries support nearly 3 crore livelihoods<\/strong>, including over 50 lakh coastal community members<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  5. Export performance:<\/strong> Seafood exports have doubled from \u20b930,213 crore to <\/strong>\u20b962,408 crore<\/strong>, strengthening India\u2019s global presence.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Significance of Reservoir Fisheries<\/strong><\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Large resource base:<\/strong> Reservoirs cover 31.5 lakh hectares<\/strong>, producing around 18 lakh tonnes of fish<\/strong>, showing high untapped potential.<\/li>\n
    2. Regional importance:<\/strong> These reservoirs are mainly located in eastern, central, and peninsular regions<\/strong>, supporting local economies.<\/li>\n
    3. Livelihood support in vulnerable areas:<\/strong> Reservoir fisheries provide direct and indirect employment<\/strong> in economically backward and water-scarce regions<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    4. State-wise distribution:<\/strong> Madhya Pradesh has the largest reservoir area (~6 lakh ha)<\/strong>, while Tamil Nadu has over 8,000 reservoirs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    5. Food security and nutrition:<\/strong> These fisheries contribute to affordable protein supply<\/strong> and improve food availability.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Development of India\u2019s Fisheries Sector<\/strong><\/h2>\n
        \n
      1. Improvement in productivity:<\/strong> Reservoir productivity increased from 50 kg\/ha (2006) to 100 kg\/ha<\/strong>, showing effective technological adoption.<\/li>\n
      2. Role of cage culture technology:<\/strong> Floating or stationary cages allow natural water flow, better oxygen exchange, and efficient feeding and monitoring<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      3. Species diversification:<\/strong> Stocking includes Indian major carps (Catla, Rohu, Mrigal)<\/strong> along with Tilapia and Pangasius<\/strong> based on need.<\/li>\n
      4. Design and efficiency of cages:<\/strong> Cages made of synthetic mesh<\/strong> are anchored or buoyed, ensuring stability and ease of disease management.<\/li>\n
      5. Potential for higher productivity:<\/strong> Studies show productivity can increase up to 300 kg\/ha<\/strong>, indicating scope for further growth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. Budgetary support and schemes:<\/strong> Budget 2026\u201327 provides \u20b92,761.80 crore<\/strong>, with \u20b92,530 crore for schemes<\/strong>, and Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana receiving \u20b92,500 crore<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        2. Integrated reservoir development:<\/strong> Focus on 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars<\/strong> to improve income and strengthen the fisheries value chain.<\/li>\n
        3. Mission Amrit Sarovar expansion:<\/strong> 68,827 ponds developed<\/strong>, including 1,222 used for fisheries<\/strong>, each with minimum 1 acre area and 10,000 m\u00b3 capacity<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        4. Cluster-based approach:<\/strong> National Fisheries Development Board is implementing clusters like Halalai and Indra Sagar dams<\/strong> to improve efficiency and scale.<\/li>\n
        5. Value chain strengthening:<\/strong> Development includes hatcheries, feed mills, storage, ice plants, auction centres, and transport systems<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        6. Support to institutions and startups:<\/strong> Around 200 start-ups supported<\/strong> and 34 clusters developed<\/strong>, benefiting nearly 50 lakh people<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        7. Export promotion measures:<\/strong> Duty-free fish catch in EEZ and high seas<\/strong>, and increase in duty-free import limit from 1% to 3%<\/strong> for processing inputs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Challenges Remains<\/strong><\/h2>\n
            \n
          1. Fragmented governance:<\/strong> Multiple agencies control fishing rights, creating data and management challenges<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
          2. Infrastructure gaps:<\/strong> Lack of cold storage, transport, and processing facilities<\/strong> affects value addition.<\/li>\n
          3. Limited market access:<\/strong> Weak linkages reduce price realisation for fish farmers<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
          4. Need for skill and technology adoption:<\/strong> Capacity-building and training are required for efficient use of modern technologies<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
          5. Underutilised productivity potential:<\/strong> Current productivity is 100 kg\/ha<\/strong>, while potential is 300 kg\/ha<\/strong>, showing a large gap.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

            Tapping reservoir fisheries offers strong potential for income generation, food security, and export growth<\/strong>. With higher budget allocation, value chain development, and cluster-based strategies<\/strong>, the sector can achieve higher productivity and efficiency. Strengthening infrastructure, institutions, and market linkages will be key to ensuring sustainable growth and livelihood security<\/strong> in line with Viksit Bharat@2047 vision<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

            Question for practice:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

            Discuss how the integrated development of reservoir fisheries, supported by Budget 2026\u201327 initiatives, can enhance productivity, livelihoods, and value chain efficiency in India\u2019s fisheries sector.<\/p>\n

            Source<\/strong>: The Hindu<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            UPSC Syllabus: Gs Paper 3- Indian economy Introduction Tapping fisheries in reservoirs has emerged as a key strategy in Budget 2026\u201327, which proposes integrated development of 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars to increase fish farmers\u2019 income. India is now the second-largest fish producer globally, with 197.75 lakh tonnes production, and 75% coming from inland fisheries,… Continue reading Tapping Fisheries in Reservoirs<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[216,8184,10498],"class_list":["post-360671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-gs-paper-3","tag-indian-economy","tag-the-hindu","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360671\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}