Gujarat's Ponds Beat the Sea: Inland Fish Up 37%

For decades, Gujarat’s fisheries story was written at sea. The state has India’s longest coastline, its biggest marine catch, and a fishing fleet that once defined the sector. But in 2025-26, the numbers flipped the script: Gujarat’s inland fish production surged 37%, while marine production grew just 1.1%. The ponds, reservoirs and shrimp farms of inland Gujarat are now doing the heavy lifting — and the shift is big enough to change where the state’s next fish, and the next fishing job, will come from.

Gujarat produced around 11.5 lakh metric tonnes of fish in 2025-26, up 9.9% on the previous year. Of that, about 7.7 lakh MT came from the sea and about 3.7 lakh MT from inland waters. Marine production rose by only around 8,167 tonnes; inland production rose by nearly 1 lakh MT. In other words, almost all of Gujarat’s growth last year came from water that is nowhere near the beach.

Gujarat’s fish production in 2025-26 at a glance

Indicator (FY 2025-26)	Figure	Change vs previous year
Total fish production	~11.5 lakh MT	+9.9%
Marine fish production	~7.7 lakh MT	+1.1% (about +8,167 tonnes)
Inland fish production	~3.7 lakh MT	+37% (nearly +1 lakh MT)
Inland share of total production	32.6%	Up from 21.2% in 2021-22

Source: The Times of India, “Times Dhandho: Inland fisheries reel in big gains for Gujarat”, 24 August 2026, corroborated by Vibes of India. Figures are rounded as reported; the components (7.7 + 3.7 lakh MT) add to about 11.4 lakh MT against the reported total of “around 11.5 lakh MT”.

The quiet takeover: inland is now a third of Gujarat’s fish

The most striking number in the data is not the 37% jump — it is the trend behind it. In 2021-22, inland fisheries accounted for 21.2% of Gujarat’s fish production. By 2025-26, that share had climbed to 32.6%. Nearly one tonne in three now comes from freshwater and brackish-water farming.

The resource base makes the scale of the opportunity clear. Gujarat has around 3.5 lakh hectares of reservoirs, 0.22 lakh hectares of village ponds and about 3,865 km of rivers and canals. Add to that an estimated 3.8 lakh hectares of saline land, of which around 89,341 hectares have been identified as suitable for brackish-water aquaculture — and the state’s inland ceiling looks far higher than today’s 3.7 lakh MT.

Growth is coming from several directions at once: freshwater fish farming in ponds and reservoirs, shrimp and prawn culture in brackish-water farms, and diversification into new freshwater species at inland breeding centres. Aquaculture is spreading across coastal districts too — Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Rajula, Porbandar, Anand, Bharuch, Navsari, Valsad, Surat and Khambhat — with shrimp among the most widely cultivated produce.

Where the brackish-water land is: district by district

Of Gujarat’s estimated 3.8 lakh hectares of saline land, about 89,341 hectares have been identified as suitable for brackish-water aquaculture. Bharuch alone accounts for more than a third of it.

District	Suitable brackish-water area (hectares)
Bharuch	33,208
Surat	19,200
Navsari	12,037.2
Kutch	7,834
Valsad	5,138.7
Jamnagar	4,104
Rajkot	3,200
Amreli	2,001
Junagadh	1,493
Bhavnagar	1,125
Total identified	~89,341

Source: Vibes of India, “From Sea To Ponds: Gujarat’s Fish Production Surges 37%”, 2026. District figures sum to 89,340.9 hectares, matching the reported total of around 89,341 hectares.

Why the sea is stalling while the ponds boom

Marine production growing 1.1% is not a one-year blip — it looks like a ceiling. Industry voices quoted in the Times of India report point to a changing pattern of fish availability, with global warming playing a role, and fishermen having to travel farther into the sea with bigger boats and more expensive equipment just to hold their catch steady. Velji Masani, president of the All India Fishermen Association, said fishermen are now being urged to adopt deep-sea fishing using bigger trawlers.

There is also a sustainability warning inside the growth story. Processing-industry representatives flagged rising juvenile fishing — young fish caught before maturity, bought by the fishmeal lobby — which could damage future stocks if left unchecked. Experts quoted in the report believe marine production may now be approaching its optimum level, leaving limited room for substantial growth, while inland fisheries remain a developing sector with production rising each year.

The economics explain why farmers are moving inland even faster than the policy. Experts estimate the cost of producing inland fish can be nearly one-third that of marine fish: marine fishing needs boats, crew, fuel and equipment, while inland aquaculture can involve a largely one-time investment in creating ponds, with natural freshwater resources used in some locations. Suresh Patel, president of the Gujarat Aquaculture Association, whose farms cover about 200 hectares and employ more than 350 people, said inland varieties fetch double or more the price of marine catch. Navsari-based aquaculture farmer Vasu Tendel, in the business for more than a decade, said inland fishery has generated better returns than marine fishing. Manoj Sharma, a shrimp farmer and director of Mayank Aquaculture Pvt Ltd, said aquaculture “can change rural economy” and that shrimp can be cultivated on a much larger scale along the coast.

The honest caveat: disease outbreaks remain a significant risk for aquaculture farms, particularly in intensive systems, and experts stress that the next phase of growth must focus on water management, fish health and responsible farming — not just production.

Processing: Gujarat’s hidden export engine

The production boom is feeding a processing industry that already punches above its weight. Out of 671 marine fish-processing units across 13 coastal states and Union territories, Gujarat has 137, with a combined daily capacity of 7,646.8 MT — about 19% of the national capacity of 39,927 MT. Larger aquaculture companies, particularly those dealing in prawns and shrimp, have increasingly entered fish processing, and processed shrimp and prawns generally command higher export values than several other marine species.

But there is a gap the numbers expose: most processing units in Gujarat still handle marine catch. Only about a dozen, largely concentrated in south Gujarat, process aquaculture produce. Industry sources say seafood exports could increase substantially if more coastal saline wasteland is brought under aquaculture — the raw material is growing inland, but the value-addition chain has not caught up yet. That gap is also an opportunity: every new inland-focused processing unit converts pond fish into export earnings.

What this means if you fish or farm in Gujarat: 5 steps

This is a data story, not a scheme announcement — no new application window or subsidy rate was announced with these figures. But the direction of travel is clear, and here is how to act on it:

Check your district’s brackish-water map first. Bharuch, Surat and Navsari hold the largest identified suitable areas. Your district fisheries office can confirm whether saline land near you is earmarked for aquaculture.
Ask about hatchery, biofloc, RAS and cage-culture support. The state government is promoting fish-seed hatcheries and rearing facilities, financial assistance for modern systems such as biofloc and recirculatory aquaculture systems (RAS), cage culture, cold-chain facilities, ornamental fish hatcheries and fish-health diagnostic laboratories.
Price the inland option honestly. Inland production costs are estimated at roughly a third of marine fishing, and inland varieties can fetch double or more the price of marine catch — but budget for disease risk and water management, and talk to farmers already running ponds before investing.
Think beyond the pond gate. With only about a dozen Gujarat units focused on aquaculture produce, processing and cold chain are underserved — cooperatives and small processors have room to grow alongside production.
Watch the marine side, don’t abandon it. Marine fishing still supports thousands of families across Gujarat’s coastal belt, and the push toward deep-sea fishing with bigger trawlers is the official direction for the sea fleet. The smart play for most coastal households is a mix, not a switch.

Why you may see a different Gujarat number elsewhere

Readers who follow marine landings data may notice a different Gujarat figure: ICAR-CMFRI’s calendar-year 2025 estimates put Gujarat’s marine landings at about 6.43 lakh tonnes, down 15% on 2024. That is a different measurement from the state figures in this article — CMFRI counts marine fish landed at harbours in the calendar year, while the Gujarat state figures count total marine production across the financial year 2025-26. The two series are not interchangeable, and neither is wrong. What both agree on is the direction: Gujarat’s sea catch is under pressure, and its inland waters are where the growth is.

Frequently asked questions

How much fish did Gujarat produce in 2025-26?
Around 11.5 lakh metric tonnes, up 9.9% on the previous year — about 7.7 lakh MT from marine fisheries and about 3.7 lakh MT from inland fisheries.

How fast did Gujarat’s inland fisheries grow?
Inland fish production rose nearly 37% in 2025-26, adding almost 1 lakh MT in a single year. Its share of the state’s total fish production has risen from 21.2% in 2021-22 to 32.6% in 2025-26.

Which Gujarat districts have the most brackish-water aquaculture land?
Bharuch leads with 33,208 hectares identified as suitable, followed by Surat (19,200 ha) and Navsari (12,037.2 ha). In total, about 89,341 hectares across ten districts have been identified.

Is there a new subsidy or application window for Gujarat fish farmers in this story?
No. This article reports production data published in August 2026. State support for hatcheries, biofloc, RAS, cage culture and cold chain exists, but no new application window was announced with these figures — check with your district fisheries office for current schemes.

Why is marine fish production barely growing in Gujarat?
Marine production rose only about 1.1% in 2025-26. Industry voices cite changing fish availability, warming seas, fishermen travelling farther with bigger boats, and juvenile fishing pressure. Experts believe marine output may be near its optimum level, while inland aquaculture still has headroom.

Gujarat’s Ponds Beat the Sea: Inland Fish Up 37%