National Scientific Hindi Webinar on Importance of Marine Fisheries Census in Fisher Development
The Marine Fisheries Census in India is crucial for ensuring sustainable development, effective policy planning, and welfare of the coastal fisher communities. It provides accurate and comprehensive data on fishing households, boats, gears, and socio-economic conditions, enabling the government to design targeted schemes and distribute subsidies, insurance, and disaster relief effectively. The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is the nodal scientific agency responsible for the planning, execution, and analysis of the marine census in nine coastal states. The Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) -2025, which is the fifth such census, is being conducted across India. This is coordinated by the Department of Fisheries (DoF) of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. It focuses on the exhaustive, precise, and timely documentation of every marine fisher family, fishing village, fishing craft and gear, as well as infrastructure facilities associated with fishing harbours and fish landing centres across the country. The census aims to provide accurate and timely data for sustainable development and governance of the marine fisheries sector, which supports over a million families. Involving new technologies, customized mobile and tablet-based applications named VyAS-NAV App created by ICAR-CMFRI etc. will be used for data collection in a bid to reduce manual errors and accelerate data compilation for policy-level use.
Marine Fisheries Census ensures that no fisher family is left behind, contributing directly to the pillars of Viksit Bharat—inclusive growth, environmental sustainability, digital empowerment, and self-reliant communities. The census also supports the sustainable management of marine biodiversity by monitoring fishing pressure and guiding resource conservation. Additionally, it aids in infrastructure development, modernization of fishing practices, and boosts India’s Blue Economy by safeguarding the livelihoods of millions dependent on marine fisheries. The Marine Fisheries Census emerges as a key enabler of equitable and sustainable development in coastal areas. By identifying gaps in income, education, health, and access to technology, the census enables targeted interventions aligned with the goals of Blue Economy, coastal resilience, and rural prosperity. Hence it has been decided to conduct a National Webinar in Hindi on the topic- Importance of Marine Fisheries Census in Fisher Development.
