Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031 and Lakshadweep Blue Economy: 197.75 | CurrentPulse AI
Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031 and Lakshadweep Blue Economy: 197.75 Lakh Tonne Fish Output,
📅 Published 1 September 2026•Updated 12 September 2026•⏱ 15 min read•EnvironmentGS-3
Fishermen at Kavarathi, Lakshadweep · Shafeeq Thamarassery / UnpetitproleX · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsImage source ↗
₹73,890 Crore Exports and Island **Fisheries
Mission **Rangeen Machhli 2031 and Lakshadweep Blue
Economy: 197.75 Lakh Tonne Fish Output, ₹73,890 Crore
Exports and Island Fisheries
Why in News?
The Vice-President released Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031, a Strategic Action Plan for ornamental
fisheries development, at Agatti in Lakshadweep on 31 August 2026.
The programme focuses on high-value island resources including tuna, seaweed and ornamental
fisheries while emphasising sustainability, cooperatives and Fisheries Farmer Producer Organisations.
More than ₹62 crore of fisheries-development projects have been approved for Lakshadweep under the
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, making the island dimension central to the current Blue
Economy push.
India's Fisheries Transformation - Data Throughout
India's fish production rose from 95.7 lakh tonnes in 2013-14 to 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, an
increase of more than 100% in roughly a decade.
Seafood exports reached a record ₹73,890 crore in 2025-26; in dollar terms, exports were around
US$8.46 billion compared with US$3.64 billion in 2013-14.
The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated ₹2,761.80 crore to fisheries under Blue Revolution-related initiatives.
PMMSY received ₹2,500 crore in the Union Budget 2026-27.
As of early 2026, insurance coverage had reached about 33 lakh beneficiaries in the fisheries sector.
Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031
Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031 is a strategic action plan focused on ornamental fisheries, a high-value
segment involving colourful aquarium species rather than bulk food-fish production alone.
Ornamental fisheries can generate high value from relatively small volumes, making them relevant to island
and coastal livelihoods when collection and breeding are sustainable.
The mission can support breeding, hatcheries, quality standards, quarantine, logistics, branding and market
linkages.
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Because wild ornamental collection can damage reefs if unmanaged, captive breeding and science-based
harvest limits are essential.
Lakshadweep - Geography for Prelims
Lakshadweep is an archipelago in the Arabian Sea consisting predominantly of coral islands, reefs and
atolls.
Agatti is one of the inhabited islands and has an airport, making it a key connectivity point for the
archipelago.
Lakshadweep's fragile coral ecosystems make carrying capacity, waste management, freshwater
availability and reef protection central to development planning.
The islands lie off India's south-western coast; they should not be confused with the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands in the Bay of Bengal.
Tuna Economy
Oceanic tuna are high-value pelagic fish with strong domestic and export-market potential.
Lakshadweep's location gives access to rich tuna resources, but value realisation depends on onboard
handling, ice, cold chains, processing, certification and export logistics.
Pole-and-line and other selective fishing methods can have different ecological footprints from indiscriminate
fishing gear.
Moving from raw catch to chilled, processed and branded tuna can increase fisher income without
requiring proportionate increases in harvest volume.
Seaweed Economy
Seaweed can be used in food, hydrocolloids, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fertiliser, animal feed and
emerging biomaterials.
Seaweed farming can create coastal livelihoods, especially for women, but ecological suitability and
native-species considerations are essential.
Poorly planned expansion can alter local ecosystems or create conflicts over coastal space.
Blue-economy policy should therefore assess carrying capacity, water quality and biodiversity before scaling
production.
Ornamental Fisheries and Biodiversity
Coral-reef ecosystems contain visually attractive fish and invertebrates sought by aquarium markets.
Unregulated capture can damage populations and reefs, particularly when destructive collection methods are
used.
Captive breeding reduces pressure on wild stocks and creates traceable commercial supply chains.
Mission Rangeen Machhli should therefore be judged not only by export value but by the share of production
coming from sustainable breeding systems.
PMMSY - Infrastructure Numbers
As of April 2026, 28,489 fish transportation and handling units had been approved under
PMMSY-related interventions.
Approved market infrastructure included 1,394 live-fish vending units, 6,018 fish kiosks and 117
fish retail markets.
Cold-chain approvals included 775 cold storages and ice plants along with 24 wholesale fish markets.
These figures show why fisheries policy is not only about increasing catch; post-harvest infrastructure
determines spoilage, quality and fisher realisation.
Credit and Social Protection
About 6.83 lakh Kisan Credit Card applications were received for fisheries, 6.77 lakh were accepted
and around 4.82 lakh were sanctioned as of early 2026.
KCC benefits had reached approximately 4.39 lakh fishers.
Insurance coverage extended to about 33 lakh beneficiaries, while an average of 7.44 lakh fisher
families received livelihood assistance during lean fishing periods.
These numbers connect Blue Economy policy with financial inclusion and social protection rather than
treating fishers only as resource extractors.
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal state generally has sovereign rights for exploring,
exploiting, conserving and managing natural resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone up to 200 nautical
miles from baselines.
India's large maritime zones create opportunities for offshore fisheries but also require surveillance, scientific
stock assessment and enforcement.
The Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone Rules, 2025 and High Seas
guidelines provide a newer regulatory framework for offshore fishing.
EEZ rights are resource-related sovereign rights; an EEZ is not legally identical to territorial sea.
Territorial Sea vs EEZ
India's territorial sea extends up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline, where sovereignty is much broader
subject to international-law rules such as innocent passage.
The contiguous zone extends up to 24 nautical miles, while the EEZ can extend up to 200 nautical
miles.
These maritime-zone figures are recurring UPSC Prelims facts and are directly relevant to fisheries governance.
High seas lie beyond national jurisdictional zones and require international cooperation for sustainable fishing.
Blue Economy
The Blue Economy means sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, livelihoods and jobs
while preserving ocean ecosystem health.
It includes fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, ports, offshore energy, tourism, marine biotechnology and
ecosystem services.
A narrow focus on extraction can undermine the resource base on which long-term coastal prosperity depends.
Island Blue Economy policy therefore requires simultaneous investment in livelihoods, conservation,
connectivity and climate resilience.
Climate Risk to Islands
Coral islands are vulnerable to sea-level rise, coastal erosion, storm surges, coral bleaching and saltwater
intrusion into freshwater systems.
Ocean warming can shift fish distribution and affect reef productivity.
Climate-resilient jetties, cold chains and coastal infrastructure must be designed for island conditions rather
than copied from mainland projects.
Healthy coral reefs themselves provide natural coastal protection, making biodiversity conservation an
economic asset.
Fisheries and Food Security
Fish provides high-quality protein and important micronutrients, contributing to nutrition security.
Rapid output growth from 95.7 lakh tonnes to 197.75 lakh tonnes expands supply but must be
assessed alongside stock health and aquaculture sustainability.
Aquaculture can reduce pressure on wild capture fisheries, but disease, feed, water pollution and antibiotic
misuse require regulation.
Future productivity gains should come increasingly from better seed, feed, disease management, post-harvest
systems and value addition rather than indiscriminate fishing effort.
Way Forward
Develop Lakshadweeptuna value chains around cold storage, quality certification, selective fishing
and high-value processing.
Scale ornamental-fish captive breeding so Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031 does not create additional
pressure on coral-reef biodiversity.
Use PMMSY infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses and improve fisher price realisation.
Expand KCC, insurance and cooperative/FPO coverage while ensuring women-led enterprises gain access to
processing and marketing opportunities.
Base EEZ fishing licences and access passes on scientific stock assessment, vessel monitoring and
enforceable sustainability standards.
Prelims Quick Revision
Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031 released at Agatti, Lakshadweep on 31 August 2026.
Fish production: 95.7 lakh tonnes in 2013-14 → 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
Seafood exports: record ₹73,890 crore in 2025-26; about US$8.46 billion.
Lakshadweep fisheries projects under PMMSY: over ₹62 crore.
Territorial sea = 12 nautical miles; contiguous zone = 24 nautical miles; EEZ = up to 200 nautical
miles.
Probable Prelims Question
With reference to India's maritime zones, consider the following statements: territorial sea
extends up to 12 nautical miles; contiguous zone up to 24 nautical miles; and the EEZ
may extend up to 200 nautical miles from baselines. Which statements are correct?
Probable Mains Question
Lakshadweep's fisheries potential can generate high-value livelihoods only if economic
expansion remains within the ecological limits of a coral-island system. Discuss with reference to
Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031, tuna, seaweed and India's Blue Economy strategy.
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