In preparation for the 5th Marine Fisheries Census (MFC-2025), India’s Department of Fisheries has begun a nationwide survey and validation of marine fishing villages.
The effort is being carried out through the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
“An accurate and updated frame of marine fishing villages is essential to ensure the success of the household-level enumeration,” said Neetu Kumari Prasad, IAS, Joint Secretary, Department of Fisheries.
The two-week-long operation aims to create a precise and current database of marine fishing villages across India’s coastline and island territories. This first step will precede the full-scale household enumeration phase, scheduled for November and December 2025, covering around 3,500 villages in 13 coastal states and union territories.
Conducted under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, MFC-2025 is being spearheaded by CMFRI, which will deploy over 100 officials in collaboration with the Fishery Survey of India.
Using VyAS-NAV (Village-Jetty Appraisal Navigator), a mobile application developed by CMFRI, teams will collect real-time, geo-referenced data to delineate village boundaries and verify their current status.
Local community engagement will also play a vital role, with selected members being trained as enumerators for the household-level phase. According to CMFRI director Dr Grinson George, this approach will enhance community participation and accuracy.
The validated data will feed into a GIS-enabled census dashboard and help the government develop India’s marine fishing sector sustainably.
