REPORT

PISCICULTURE IN INDIA

INTRODUCTION
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are normally caught in the
wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand
gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping. “Fishing” may include
catching aquatic animals other than fish, such
as molluscs, cephalopods, crustaceans, and echinoderms. The term is not normally
applied to catching farmed fish, or to aquatic mammals, such as whales where the
term whaling is more appropriate. In addition to being caught to be eaten, fish are
caught as recreational pastimes. Fishing tournaments are held, and caught fish are
sometimes kept as preserved or living trophies. When bioblitzes occur, fish are
typically caught, identified, and then released.
According to the United Nations FAO statistics, the total number of commercial
fishermen and fish farmers is estimated to be 38
million. Fisheries and aquaculture provide direct and indirect employment to over
500 million people in developing countries.[1]In 2005, the worldwide per capita
consumption of fish captured from wild fisheries was 14.4 kilograms, with an
additional 7.4 kilograms harvested from fish farms.
Fishing in India is a major industry in its coastal states, employing over 14 million
people. In 2014-15, the country exported over 10,50,000 metric tonnes of fish to 75
countries, earning over $5.51 billion.[1] According to the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, fish production has increased more than
tenfold since 1947 and doubled between 1990 and 2010.[2]
India has 8,129 kilometres (5,051 mi) of marine coastline, 3,827 fishing villages and
1,914 traditional fish landing centers. India's fresh water resources consist of
195,210 kilometres (121,300 mi) of rivers and canals, 2.9 million hectares of minor
and major reservoirs, 2.4 million hectares of ponds and lakes, and about 0.8 million
hectares of flood plain wetlands and water bodies.[3] As of 2010, the marine and
freshwater resources offered a combined sustainable catch fishing potential of over
4 million metric tonnes of fish. In addition, India's water and natural resources offer a
tenfold growth potential in aquaculture (farm fishing) from 2010 harvest levels of
3.9 million metric tonnes of fish, if India were to adopt fishing knowledge, regulatory
reforms and sustainability policies.

Economic benefits
Fishing in India contributed over 1 percent of India's annual gross domestic
product in 2008. Fishing in India employs about 14.5 million people.[3] To harvest the
economic benefits from fishing, India has adopted exclusive economic zone,
stretching 200 nautical miles (370 km) into the Indian Ocean, encompasses more
than 2 million square kilometers. In addition to this marine zone, India has about
14,000 km² of brackish water available for aquaculture, about 16,000 km² of
freshwater lakes, ponds, and swamps; and nearly 64,000 kilometers
of riversand streams. In 1990, there were 1.7 million full-time fishermen, 1.3 million
part-time fishermen, and 2.3 million occasional fishermen, many of whom worked as
saltmakers, ferrymen, or seamen, or operated boats for hire.[6] In the early 1990s, the
fishing fleet consisted of 180,000 traditional craft powered by sails or oars, 26,000
motorized traditional craft, and some 34,000 mechanized boats.[7]
Fish production rose from 800,000 tons in FY 1950 to 4.1 million tons in the early
1990s. From 1990 through 2010, Indian fish industry accelerated, reaching a total
marine and freshwater fish production to about 8 million metric tons. In 2006, Indian
central government initiated a dedicated organization focused on fisheries, under
its Ministry of Agriculture. Special efforts have been made to promote extensive and
intensive inland fish farming, modernize coastal fisheries, and encourage deep-sea
fishing through joint ventures. These efforts led to a more than fourfold increase
in coastal fish production from 520,000 tons in FY 1950 to 3.35 million tons in
FY 2013. The increase in inland fish production was even more dramatic, increasing
almost eightfold from 218,000 tons in FY 1950 to 6.10 million tons in FY 2013. The
value of fish and processed fish exports increased from less than 1 percent of the
total value of exports in FY 1960 to 3.6 percent in FY 1993. Between 1990 and 2007,
fish production in India has grown at a higher rate than food grains, milk, eggs, and
other food items.[8] Indian inland waters (rivers, reservoirs, wetlands, lakes and
ponds) contribute 62–65% of the total fisheries production.

Law and regulations

According to Indian constitution, the power of enacting laws is split between India's
central government and the Indian states. The state legislatures of India have the
power to make laws and regulations with respect to a number of subject-matters,
including water (i.e., water supplies, irrigation and canals, drainage
and embankments, water storage and water power), land (i.e., rights in or over land,
land tenure, transfer, and alienation of agricultural land), fisheries, as well as the
preservation, protection and improvement of stock and the prevention of animal
disease. National laws include the British-era [Indian Fisheries Act, 1897, which
penalizes the killing of fish by poisoning water and by using explosives;
the Environment Protection Act, 1986, being an umbrella act containing provisions
for all environment related issues affecting fisheries and aquaculture industry in
India, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Wildlife
Protection Act, 1972. The banning of trawling by chartered foreign vessels and the
speedy motorization of traditional fishing craft in the 1980s led to a quantum jump in
marine fish production in the late 1980s. The export of marine products rose from
97,179 tons (Rs531 billion) in FY 1987 to 210,800 tons (Rs17.4 trillion) in FY 1992.

Aquaculture

Carp
Carp farming in the country started between 1970 and 1980 due to the demonstrated
high production levels of 8 to 10 tonnes/hectare/year in an incubation center. Late
1980s saw the dawn of aquaculture in India and transformed fish culture into a more
modern enterprise. With the economic liberalization of the early 1990s, fishing
industry got a major investment boost.[4]
India's breeding and culture technologies include primarily different species of carp,
including the important Indian major carp species (notably catla, mrigal and rohu);
other species such as catfish, murrels and prawns are recent additions. The culture
systems adopted in the country vary greatly depending on the input available in any
particular region as well as on the investment capabilities of the farmer. While
extensive aquaculture is carried out in comparatively large water bodies with
stocking of the fish seed as the only input beyond utilising natural productivity,
elements of fertilisation and feeding have been introduced into semi-intensive
culture. The different culture systems in Indian practice include:[5]

 Intensive pond culture with supplementary feeding and aeration (10–15

tonnes/ha/yr)
 Composite carp culture (4–6 tonnes/ha/yr)
 Weed-based carp polyculture (3–4 tonnes/ha/yr)
 Integrated fish farming with poultry, pigs, ducks, horticulture, etc. (3–5
tonnes/ha/yr)
 Pen culture (3–5 tonnes/ha/yr)
 Cage culture (10–15 kg/m²/yr)
 Running-water fish culture (20–50 kg/m²/yr)

Freshwater aquaculture
Freshwater aquaculture accounts for nearly 55% of the total fish production in
India.[14] Aquaculture resources in India include 2.36 million hectares of ponds and
tanks, 1.07 million hectares of beels, jheels and derelict waters plus in addition
0.12 million kilometers of canals, 3.15 million hectares of reservoirs and 0.72 million
hectares of upland lakes that could be utilised for aquaculture purposes. Ponds and
tanks are the prime resources for freshwater aquaculture in India. However, less
than 10 percent of India's natural potential is used for aquaculture currently. For
bringing more areas under scientific fisheries and aquaculture, the Indian
government and premier fisheries research institutes are trying hard to sensitize the
fish farmers and entrepreneurs regarding the package of practices and prospects of
the highly promising ‘culture-based fisheries technology (CBF)’ in inland waters.
Utilization of untapped inland waters through CBF is one of the foremost strategies
for achieving blue revolution. CBF is generally practiced in inland waters having
areas between 100 and 1000 ha (lakes, wetlands and small reservoirs) and
cautiously in 1000–5000 ha (medium-sized reservoirs) [9]
Brackishwater aquaculture
The FAO of the United Nations estimates that about 1.2 million hectares of potential
brackishwater area available in India is suitable for farming, in addition to this,
around 8.5 million hectares of salt affected areas are also available, of which about
2.6 million hectares could be exclusively utilised for aquaculture due to the
unsuitability of these resources for other agriculture based activities. However, just
like India's fresh water resources, the total brackishwater area under cultivation is
only just over 13 percent of the potential water area available. Carp hatcheries in
both the public and private sectors have contributed towards the increase in seed
production from 6321 million fry in 1985–1986 to over 18500 million fry in 2007.
There are 35 freshwater prawn hatcheries in the coastal states producing over 200
million seed per annum. Furthermore, the 237 shrimp hatcheries with a production
capacity of approximately 11.425 billion post larvae per year are meeting the seed
requirement of the brackish water shrimp farming sector.

Distribution
There are five main fishing harbors
at Mangalore (Karnataka), Kochi (Kerala), Chennai (Tamil
Nadu), Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Raichak in Kolkata (West
Bengal).[15] 23 minor fishing harbors and 95 fish-landing centers are designated to
provide landing and berthing facilities to fishing craft. The table below presents the
top ten fish harvesting states in India, for the 2007-2008 agriculture year.

Leading fish producing states in India, 2007–2008

Rank[16] State Total production (metric tonnes)

1 West Bengal 1,447,260

2 Andhra Pradesh 1,010,830

3 Gujarat 721,910

4 Kerala 667,330

5 Tamil Nadu 559,360

6 Maharashtra 556,450

7 Uttar Pradesh 325,950

8 Bihar 319,100

9 Karnataka 297,690

10 Jharkhand 210,234
 Total production (metric tonnes)
1,600,000

1,400,000

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

Total production (metric tonnes)

Freshwater prawn farming in India has grown rapidly since 2000 with Andhra
Pradesh contributing to approximately 60 percent of the total water area dedicated to prawn
farming, followed by West Bengal.[5] Shrimps are one of the major varieties exported. The giant
tiger prawn(Penaeus monodon) is the dominant species chosen for aquaculture, followed by
the Indian white prawn (Fenneropenaeus indicus). Shrimp production from coastal aquaculture
during 2004 stood at approximately 120,000 tonnes. Farmed shrimp accounted for about 60% of
shrimp exported from the country. In 2008, India was the third largest producer of marine and
freshwater capture fisheries, and the second largest aquaculture farmed fish producer in the
world.

Types of Pisciculture
Type 1: Polyculture
Type 2: Monoculture
Type 3: Monosex culture

Polyculture
This is also called composite fish culture or mixed culture or mixed fish farming, it involves
culturing together of an association of fishes. In this type of culture, compatible fishes of
different feeding habits are stocked together so that all the organic resources available in the
pond are exploited to the maximum extent by the growing fishes in a most efficient manner
without harming each other.

Monoculture
In monoculture, only a single species of fish is cultured in a pond or rice field. In USA
catfishs are grown as monoculture as these are commercially important. Monoculture gives
high production and acceptance as a good food by the consumers. Prawns are also grown
by monoculture method either in fresh water or salt water ponds.

Monosex culture
Monosex culture is a type of pisciculture in which only one of the either sex, males or
females are grown in the pond for the purpose of producing maximum yield of fish meat.
Rearing Tilapia fry to fingerling stage when it is possible by determine the sex. The monosex
culture of Tilapia is found to yield large specimens for marketing.

TOP FISH SPECIES

Species Environment
Grass carp Freshwater
Silver carp Freshwater
Common carp Freshwater
Nile tilapia Freshwater
Bighead carp Freshwater
Catla (Indian carp) Freshwater
Crucian carp Freshwater
Atlantic salmon Marine
Roho labeo Freshwater
Milkfish Freshwater
Rainbow trout Freshwater, brackish, marine

Wuchang bream Freshwater

Black carp Freshwater
Northern snakehead Freshwater
Amur catfish Freshwater
INDIAN FISHERIES
Indian Fisheries
Global position 3rd in Fisheries 2nd in Aquaculture
Contribution of Fisheries to GDP (%) 1.07
Contribution to Agril. GDP (%) 5.15
Per capita fish availability (Kg.) 9.0
Annual Export earnings (Rs. In Crore) 33,441.61
Employment in sector (million) 14.0

Resources
Coastline 8129 kms
Exclusive Economic Zone 2.02 million sq. km
Continental Shelf 0.506 million sq. km
Rivers and Canals 1,91,024 km
Reservoirs 3.15 million ha
Ponds and Tanks 2.35 million ha
Oxbow lakes and derelict waters 1.3 million ha
Brackishwaters 1.24 million ha
Estuaries 0.29 million ha

No of family members Engaged in fishing operation

14,485,354

40% 32% Male Part Time

Role of stakeholders 47%
Female 53% Full Time
28%
Role of stakeholders:
Children
The emergence of stakeholder involvement in policy-making, planning and
management has arisen out of a new general development model which seeks a
different role for the state, which is based on pluralistic structures, political legitimacy
and consensus. In aquaculture, as in other areas, stakeholder involvement in policy-
making, planning and management is expected to lead to more realistic and effective
policies and plans, as well as improve their implementation. The reasons for this are
that greater information and broader experiences make it easier to develop and
implement realistic policies and plans, new initiatives can be embedded into existing
legitimate local institutions, there is less opposition and greater political support, local
capacities will be developed and political interference minimized.

Stakeholder involvement can be classified into three types: i) instructive, ii)

consultative and iii) cooperative. Instructive involvement is where government makes
the decisions but mechanisms exist for information exchange. Consultative
involvement is where government is the decision-maker but stakeholders have a
degree of influence over the process and outcomes. Cooperative involvement is
where primary stakeholders act as partners with government in the decision-making
processes. None of these types of involvement is more desirable than another, or
mutually exclusive. Much depends on the tasks to be undertaken and the political
and social norms, as well as the capabilities and aspirations of the stakeholders
themselves.

Critical aspects of stakeholder involvement in aquaculture policy-making, planning

and management include: the institutional capacity of stakeholder organizations;
legitimacy of the organizations and process, costs of stakeholder involvement,
degree of stakeholder competition, and level(s) at which stakeholders are involved.

Business Opportunities
1. Start Farming Tilapia Fish

One option you have when it comes to starting a fishing related business is to go into
Tilapia fish farming. Tilapia fish is a fresh water fish that lives in shallow streams, ponds,
rivers, lakes and can sometime be found in brackish water.
As a matter of fact, tilapia is the general name for over a hundred species of cichlid fish
from the tilapiine cichlid fish – tribe. There are two basic methods of farming tilapia fish,
you can make use of open-net cages in the ocean or you can make use of
ponds/containers.
If you don’t have enough space to install bigger ponds, open-net cages in the ocean is
your best bet if you want your tilapia fish to grow to their full capacity and if you want to
accommodate enough fishes. Open-net cages can hold over 500,000 tilapia fish in an
enclosure that is four times the size of a football field.

2. Start Farming Salmon Fish

If you are interested in starting a fishing related business, then you should consider
starting a salmon fish farm. Salmon fish farming is perhaps one of the most lucrative fish
farming businesses an entrepreneur can start, but that does not rule out the fact that it
can sometimes be challenging especially if you don’t live around coastal areas where
you can conveniently create a demarcation for breeding your salmon fish.
In order to maximize profits with your salmon fish farming business, you would have to
learn the process of hatching salmon eggs and then groom them to maturity when they
will be due for harvest. As a matter of fact, salmon fish can grow very big.

3. Start Farming Catfish

Another fish related business idea that an aspiring entrepreneur can successfully start is
catfish farming. Catfish is consumed by a good number of people and catfish farming
happens to be one of the easiest fish farming business to run. You can actually run a
catfish farm in your backyard and from artificial ponds.

4. Start a Shrimp Farming Business

Shrimp farming is another fish related business idea that an aspiring entrepreneur can
start in any part of the world. Shrimp farming is known to be a profitable business and
has evolved from small scale to a global industry in most countries where it is carried
out.
Countries like United States, China, Japan, Thailand and even South American
Countries have been farming shrimps on large scales for a long while. Shrimp is known
as one of the world’s healthiest foods and it is eaten in all continents of the world. Its
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory content makes it most desirable by those who are
careful about their cholesterol intake.

5. Start an Oyster Farming Business

There are loads of business opportunities in the fish and seafood farming industry and
oyster farming is one of them. Oyster is known as one of the world’s healthiest foods and
is eaten in all the continents of the world. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory content
makes it most desirable by those who are careful about their cholesterol intake. It is
classified as a marine creature and it is easy to come by especially in coastal area and
riverside. So, if you are considering starting a fishing related business, then one of your
options is to start farming oysters.

6. Start a Crayfish Farming Business

Another profitable fishing related business that an aspiring entrepreneur should consider
starting is crayfish farming. Crayfish, also known as crawfish, crawdads, freshwater
lobsters, mountain lobsters, mudbugs or yabbies, are freshwater crustaceans
resembling small lobsters. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory content makes it most
desirable by those who are careful about their cholesterol intake.

7. Start an Abalone Farming Business

Abalone farming business is yet another profitable and thriving fishing related business
idea that is open to interested entrepreneur. Abalone is a shellfish that is considered a
delicacy in many parts of the world. Abalone not only tastes great, but it is also an
excellent source of many vital nutrients.
Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory content makes it most desirable by those who are
careful about their cholesterol intake. So, if you are interested in starting a fishing related
business, then one of your options is to start an abalone farm.

8. Start a Prawn Farming Business

If you are interested in starting a fishing related business, one of your options is to start
a prawn farm. It is important to state that prawns do pretty well in water logged areas
except you want to invest in building artificial ponds. If you are able to locate this
business in a water – logged area, then you are likely going to struggle less in your
prawn farming business.
Prawn farms require temperatures that are above 25º C during production seasons.
Prawn species include; the black tiger prawn Penaeus monodon, the banana prawn,
Fenneropenaeus merguiensis, the kurama prawn and Penaeus japonicas.

9. Start a Trout Farming Business

Another fish farming related business idea that an aspiring entrepreneur should consider
starting is trout farming. Trout is in the family of finfish and there is indeed a large market
for finfish. So, if you are considering starting a fishing related business, then one of your
options is to start trout farming business.

10. Start Farming Minnows

Just like trout, minnow is a member of the finfish family and they are consumed by
majority of fish consumers. This goes to show that those that farm minnows are likely
going to rake in good revenues annually. So, if you are interested in starting a fishing
related business, then you should consider farming minnows.

11. Start Farming Ornamental Fish

The fishes that are usually seen in an aquarium tops the list. Ornamental fish are fishes
such as goldfish, electric fish, tropical fish et al. If you choose to start farming ornamental
fish, it means that you are not farming fishes that will be consumed but fishes that will be
placed in aquariums hence your target market will be those who are into the designing
and selling of aquariums.

12. Start Farming Crustaceans

Another fishing related business that is open to an aspiring entrepreneur is crustacean

farming business. Crustacean is a member of the shellfish family and they are
consumed by a good number of people. So, if you are interested in starting a fishing
related business, then one of your options is to go into crustacean farming business.

13. Start a Mollusk Farming Business

Mollusk farming is yet another thriving and profitable fishing related business idea that
an aspiring entrepreneur can start. Just like crustaceans, mollusks are a member of the
shellfish family and there is indeed a large market for mollusks in all parts of the world.
The truth is that no matter the part of the world that you choose to start your mollusks
farming, you are sure of making good returns if you know how to market your mollusks.

SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths:

• Vast fisheries resources in India.

nd
• 2 largest fish producer in the world.
• Source of livelihood for 14.4 Million.
• Contributes 1.07 % to GDP.
• Tool for poverty alleviation and women empowerment.
• Contributes 17% of national agriculture exports.

Weakness:

• Yield gap in fisheries resources.

 • Dearth of suitable fishing vessels.
• Post harvest losses.
• Low value addition and fish processing.

Opportunities:

• Fisheries provide for diversification as well as value addition in farming

practices.
• Growing demand for domestic fresh water fishes.
• Fish production can be enhanced in rain fed water bodies by 2 to 4 times.
• Government has laid emphasis on fisheries and fisherman, aimed to double
the farmers income by 2022.

Threats:

• Unsustainable capture in land fishery activity.

• No organised brood stock production activity.
• Lack of infrastructure and skilled manpower.
• Exploitation of coastal resources.
• Climate change.

CHALLENGES
• Lack of a reliable database relating to aquatic and fisheries resources.

• Limited number of species grown / cultured, mainly due to weak linkages

between research and development and fish farmers community.

• Weak multi-disciplinary approach in fisheries and aquaculture

• Inadequate attention to the environmental, economical, social and gender

issues in fisheries and aquaculture,

• Inadequate HRD and specialized manpower in different disciplines.

• Weak marketing and extension network

• Decline in fish catch and depletion of natural resources due to over

exploitation of coastal fisheries.

• Water pollution; unscientific management of aquaculture and contamination of

indigenous germplasm resources.

• Poor yield optimization, problems in harvest and post-harvest operations,

landing and berthing facilities for fishing vessels and issues in welfare of
fishermen.

FUTURE STRATEGIES
• Top management is key – as with all investments, finding a strong
management team that has a solid mix of technical expertise and aquaculture
business management skills is critical to success. An inexperienced,
unbalanced, or incomplete team could be a recipe for disaster. Invest in
people you believe in, replace or fill-in the weak or missing links with key
hires, give management the tools and resources they need to succeed, and
let them do their job.

• And above all, avoid the con men or what industry insiders not so
affectionately refer to as “aquashysters.” If the overly aggressive promoters
and manufactured business plans are promising hard-to-believe returns
exceeding 40-50%, or profits in the first year of operations, run the other
way. These aquashysters are thankfully less prevalent today as the industry
has come a long way, but they are still around.

• Location, location, location – superior sites yield superior biological results

and when it comes to aquaculture, an abundant supply of high quality water,
the right climate, and where appropriate, good soil quality with ideal texture for
fish pond construction, are all key ingredients. Proximity to traditional
infrastructure, aquaculture infrastructure, and strong markets for the farm-
raised products are all important ingredients for success. If you are
considering a new project, have an expert perform a site analysis. It’s an
investment that will easily pay for itself.

• Minimize risk – let’s be honest, investing in aquaculture is risky, but there are
many ways to reduce this risk. A good start is an honest assessment of a
qualified investor’s tolerance for risk. Seed and early stage aquaculture
development companies are always more risky and this is especially true in
aquaculture. While seed stage investments in aquaculture offer ground floor
opportunities and higher levels of ownership for a given level of investment,
investing in more mature and profitable aquaculture companies should be the
first choice for the more risk adverse investor. Picking the right segment of
the industry for a particular investor’s profile is also an excellent way to reduce
risk, while still maintaining the desired exposure to the aquaculture
industry. For example, investing in an aquaculture feed company, a new
aquaculture technology with wide ranging application, or even an established
aquaculture equipment manufacturer are all ways to reduce exposure to
farming-specific risks like disease yet still achieve the desired industry
exposure. For more risk tolerant investors who prefer to be involved in the
production end of the industry, selecting the right species is one way to
mitigate some of the risk associated with growing live animals. Farm-raised
species like salmon, shrimp, and tilapia all have well established farming
methods in place and markets for these species are well established, all of
which serves to lower overall risks. Conversely, the farming methods for
relatively new aquaculture species like amberjacks, groupers, snappers, and
tunas are still being refined and subsequently carry greater investment risks
but potentially higher returns on investment are achievable for successful first
movers in these farm-raised fish.
• Economic sustainability – one of the most common causes of failure in the
aquaculture industry is a lack of capital to see the project through the early
development and first years’ operational phases. Prospective investors are
well advised to use conservative projections and be prepared to inject cash
into the actual aquaculture operations for at least the first year and most likely
longer depending on the type of species and details of the expansion
plan. Cash reserves should always be set aside for unexpected events such
as disease, seasonal contractions in wholesale prices, early year expansion
plans, unanticipated delays in full payment of accounts receivable, and
more. Never put the project or your investment in jeopardy by having
insufficient cash to feed the fish, make timely loan payments, and pay the
company’s employees. These are the lifeblood of the operation.

• Maximize returns – while not required for profitability, the greatest returns on
investment in the aquaculture industry are achieved by maximizing economies
of scale and internally controlling all the major components that go into
producing the final form of the farm-raised product being grown. At each
level, incremental higher returns are achieved by investing in research and
development, hatcheries, aquaculture feeds, growout operations, processing
plant operations, seafood sales, marketing, and distribution. Fully integrated
companies that control all phases of aquaculture operations are well
positioned to return the greatest profits. Investments in fully integrated
aquaculture operations are not insignificant and can easily exceed USD 50
million. Most qualified investors start with much smaller and more
conservative investments and initially focus on one particular segment of the
industry. We advise our qualified clients to consider investments of no less
than USD 1 million in new or existing projects and preferably in the range of
USD 10-12 million for important new commercial projects.