India announces next fisheries census

The census will document socio-economic conditions of marine fisher families and map fisheries infrastructure spanning the entire coastline of the country. 

Enumerators selected from the local fishing community will reach every marine fisherman household for a 45-day data collection exercise.  

MFC 2025 is funded and coordinated by the Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is the nodal agency for the implementation of the census in mainland India–nine coastal states–and the Fishery Survey of India (FSI) is entrusted with the data collection from the union territories including islands.

The census will gather demographic and livelihood data of fishing communities, and infrastructure details including fishing vessels, gears, harbours, fish landing centres, processing units and cold storage facilities.

A high-level meeting chaired by Neetu Kumari Prasad, Joint Secretary of the Department of Fisheries, GoI reviewed the progress, the prerequisites and anticipated timeline of the census. The meeting emphasised the importance of cooperation and collaboration between state governments and implementing agencies to ensure the success of the upcoming marine fisheries census. Fisheries departments of various states offered their full support to the exercise for a range of areas including finalisation of village lists and sharing manpower and resources.

Prasad said MFC 2025 would see a paradigm shift through the adoption of modern digital tools, including mobile-based applications, geo-tagging, and real-time data validation, adding that the census is crucial to enhance evidence-based fisheries governance, livelihood planning, and sustainable marine resource management in India.

“The census will provide vital information to shape policies on marine fisheries management, welfare schemes, and infrastructure development, directly impacting millions dependent on marine livelihoods”, said Dr Grinson George, Director of CMFRI and National Coordinator of the MFC 2025.