Fisheries are a fast-growing sector in India, which provides nutrition and food security to a large population of the country, besides providing income and employment to more than 14.5 million people. India is the second largest fish producer in the world, with a total production of 13.7 million metric tonnes in 2018-19, of which 65 per cent was from the inland sector.

Almost 50 per cent of inland fish production is from culture fisheries, which constitutes 6.5 per cent of global fish production. The sector has been showing a steady growth in the total gross value added and accounts for 5.23 per cent share of agricultural GDP. Fish and fish product exports emerged as the largest group in agricultural exports in 2018-19.

Foreseeing the vast resource potential and possibilities in the fisheries sector, a separate Department of Fisheries was created in February 2019.

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic plants, algae and other organisms.

Aquaculture is a rapidly growing fisheries sector in India with an annual growth rate of over 7%. Freshwater aquaculture contributes over 95% of the total annual aquaculture production.

In Andhra, which accounts for a fourth of India’s fish production, Krishna, West Godavari and East Godavari districts are the hub of aquaculture.