Parliament Question: Global Certification for Indian seafood

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 2611 ANSWERED ON 04/08/2026 GLOBAL CERTIFICATION FOR INDIAN SEAFOOD

2611. Shri Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy:

Shri B K Pathasarathi:

Will the MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING be

pleased to state:

(a) the amount of funds sanctioned by the Government under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) 2.0 to support Indian fisheries in obtaining global certifications such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification;

(b) the number of fisheries across India that have been provided such assistance, along with the total amount disbursed;

(c) whether any fisheries from Andhra Pradesh have been assisted under this scheme for obtaining global certification, if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the expected timeline for completion of certification and the estimated cost per fishery under this programme? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

(a) to (d): The Department of Fisheries, Government of India has been implementing Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), a flagship scheme since FY 2020-21 for five years and the scheme has been extended up to September 2026 on the existing terms and conditions.

The PMMSY supports obtaining certifications and traceability by funding the establishment of certification, accreditation, and comprehensive traceability systems using IT applications and blockchain technology. Under PMMSY, financial assistance has been provided for certification, traceability, and accreditation of fish hatcheries, inland fish farms, and fish feed mills in six States, namely Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Assam, and Chhattisgarh, with a total outlay of ₹4.50 crore. Out of this, ₹1.68 crore has been approved for the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

No proposal has been received from the Government of Andhra Pradesh seeking financial assistance under the PMMSY for obtaining global certifications such as Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. Further, no fisheries have been provided financial assistance under the PMMSY specifically for obtaining such global fishery certifications, and accordingly, no funds have been disbursed for this purpose.Ecolabelling and fishery certification schemes for marine capture fisheries are guided by the FAO Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries, which outline internationally recognised principles and criteria for sustainable fisheries management. The Fishery Survey of India (FSI) and ICAR‑Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR‑CMFRI) undertake periodic stock assessments and resource monitoring, providing the scientific basis required for sustainable fisheries management and credible certification initiatives. Under PMMSY, the Department of Fisheries is supporting strategic initiatives such as yellowfin tuna stock assessment by ICAR‑CMFRI and marine mammal stock assessment and monitoring programmes by FSI. The Department has also endorsed the proposal of the Department of Fisheries, Lakshadweep, for obtaining MSC certification for the pole‑and‑line skipjack tuna fishery of Lakshadweep. In addition to MSC, internationally recognised certification schemes such as Aquaculture Stewardship Council

(ASC) and Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) are increasingly adopted in India, with several aquaculture farms, hatcheries, feed mills, and processing units already certified. *******