Centre Unveils National Traceability Framework to Elevate India’s Fisheries Sector and Hit ₹1 Lakh-Crore Seafood Export Target by 2030 🐟

Blockchain-based tracking, modernised harbours, and robust SOPs to boost sustainability and global competitiveness

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In a major policy push for India’s rapidly expanding fisheries and aquaculture sector, the Union Government on Friday launched the National Framework on Traceability in Fisheries and Aquaculture 2025. The initiative is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving the ambitious goal of ₹1 lakh crore in seafood exports by 2030, with at least 30% coming from high-value, value-added products.

Unveiled along with several complementary interventions, the framework marks a decisive step toward modernising fisheries infrastructure, strengthening global compliance, and ensuring real-time tracking of seafood products across the value chain.

A Comprehensive Package of New Interventions

Alongside the traceability framework, the government rolled out a set of national standard operating procedures and guidelines, including:

• SOPs on Mariculture
• SOPs for Developing Smart & Integrated Fishing Harbours
• SOPs for Creating Minimum Basic Infrastructure at Notified Marine Fish Landing Centres
• Guidelines for Reservoir Fisheries Management
• Guidelines for Coastal Aquaculture

These tools together aim to upgrade infrastructure, boost sustainability standards, and encourage value addition across the fisheries ecosystem, the Department of Fisheries said in its statement, calling them major milestones for the sector.

“A Transformative Leap for Seafood Exports”

Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, in a video message, underscored India’s commitment to innovation and global collaboration. He urged stakeholders to adopt a coordinated, market-driven approach, focusing on:

• Better packaging
• Meeting global certification and sustainability standards
• Leveraging Free Trade Agreements
• Strengthening biosecurity and branding
• Enhancing end-to-end traceability

He described the traceability framework as a transformative milestone that will help India secure better returns for fishers while aligning the country’s seafood exports with international best practices.

Decade of Growth Under PMMSY

Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian highlighted the remarkable growth of the fisheries sector over the past decade:

• India’s fish production has doubled from 96 lakh tonnes to 195 lakh tonnes
• Investment of ₹38,572 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) has driven infrastructure and capacity expansion
• The sector’s export ambitions aim squarely at achieving ₹1 lakh crore by 2030, with a strong push for high-value processed seafood

Sector Growing at 9% Annually

Fisheries Secretary Abhilaksh Likhi noted that the sector is expanding at 9% annually, with seafood exports touching 16.85 lakh tonnes in FY 2024–25 — an 88% jump over the last decade. He said the government is prioritising:

• Value addition
• Diversification
• Strict regulatory compliance

These measures will help India position itself as a leading global hub for seafood processing, he added.

Digital Traceability From “Farm to Plate” and “Catch to Consumer”

At the core of the new framework is a national digital traceability system that integrates cutting-edge technologies such as:

• Blockchain
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• QR Codes
• GPS-based monitoring

The goal is to unify fragmented traceability systems across states and sectors, ensuring every seafood product can be traced seamlessly from its origin to its destination.

The government said the integrated system will offer real-time, end-to-end transparency — covering everything from the movement of fishing vessels to recording harvests, farm inputs, processing steps, and final exports. Importantly, the framework also focuses on inclusivity for small-scale fishers, ensuring they benefit from digital innovation.