New Delhi: India has set an ambitious goal to boost seafood exports to Rs 1 lakh crore by 2030, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying said on Friday. 

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh addressed the World Fisheries Day 2025 celebration here through a video message, while Ministers of State Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel and George Kurian attended the event in person.

The celebration marked a significant milestone for the sector with the release of the National Framework on Traceability in Fisheries and Aquaculture 2025, along with several new guidelines and standard operating procedures aimed at modernising and regulating the fisheries value chain.

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In his address, the Union Minister stressed the importance of innovation, traceability, packaging, and brand-building to strengthen India’s competitiveness in global markets.

He urged industry stakeholders to adopt certification standards and use Free Trade Agreements to enter new international markets.

He described the newly launched traceability framework as a game-changing reform that would help fishers secure higher returns and improve India's position in global seafood trade.

India doubled fish production to 195 lakh tonnes in last decade 

Minister of State George Kurian highlighted that India has doubled fish production from 96 lakh tonnes to 195 lakh tonnes in the last decade, supported by investments worth Rs 38,572 crores under initiatives like PMMSY.

Outlining the future roadmap, he said India aims to ensure that 30 per cent of its seafood exports by 2030 come from high-value and value-added products.

Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel said the fisheries sector supports the livelihoods of more than 3 crore people and plays a key role in export-led growth.

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He noted that GST reforms, digital processes, and expansion in the number of registered exporters have boosted ease of doing business and strengthened India’s seafood export ecosystem.

Speaking at the event, Fisheries Secretary Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi said India’s seafood export volume touched 16.85 lakh tonnes in FY 2024–25, showing an 88 per cent rise over the last decade.

He said the government is focusing on value addition, sustainability, regulatory compliance, and diversification to position India as a major global seafood processing hub.

He also underscored ecological sustainability efforts, including marine mammal studies and the adoption of Turtle Excluder Devices.

(IANS)