Dept of Fisheries approves Rs 199.24 Cr smart, integrated fishing harbour at Andaman & Nicobar Islands

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 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 Rs 199.24 crore with 100 per cent 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.

India’s fisheries sector has experienced robust growth, supported by public investments of over Rs 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 Rs 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.