India’s island territories have just been handed the centre of the country’s Blue Economy story. On Tuesday, 10 November 2026, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying released its island fisheries strategy, placing Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands at the heart of a push into high-value tuna, seaweed and ornamental fisheries. The headline number is bold: a five-year plan to double Lakshadweep’s tuna production to 50,000 tonnes, backed by dedicated clusters, deep-sea vessels and export infrastructure.
This post breaks down what the strategy actually promises, the money behind it, the three pillars it rests on, what it means for island fishers — and the honest caveats the announcement does not spell out.
The island strategy at a glance
| Announced | 10 November 2026 — Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (PIB release) |
| The two territories | Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Bay of Bengal) — together nearly 40% of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone |
| The three pillars | Tuna (Yellowfin, Skipjack, Bigeye) • Seaweed cultivation • Ornamental fisheries |
| Tuna target | Lakshadweep: double tuna production to 50,000 tonnes in five years (a target, not a result) |
| Clusters | Tuna Cluster in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (notified 29 October 2024) • Seaweed Cluster in Lakshadweep |
| PMMSY allocation | Andaman & Nicobar Islands ₹218 crore • Lakshadweep ₹175 crore (allocations, not money already spent) |
| India’s marine potential | 58.6 lakh tonnes within the EEZ; coastline about 11,099 km; EEZ nearly 24 lakh sq km |
| Seafood exports | About ₹73,890 crore in FY 2025-26 |
| Government investment since 2015 | ₹39,272 crore committed to fisheries through key schemes and programmes |
| People dependent on the sector | Nearly 50 lakh fishers across India |
Why the islands, and why now?
The two island groups are small in land area and enormous in sea. Together they account for nearly 40% of India’s EEZ, putting India’s fishing grounds across the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal and astride major tuna migration routes. That geography is the whole argument: the mainland cannot easily reach the oceanic fishing grounds the islands sit on.
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | EEZ about 6.60 lakh sq km (roughly one-third of India’s EEZ); fisheries potential about 1.48 lakh tonnes |
| Lakshadweep | EEZ about 4 lakh sq km (about 17% of India’s EEZ); fisheries potential about 1 lakh tonne |
| Untapped island potential | About 2.5 lakh tonnes, per ministry background material |
The timing is not accidental either. The Union Budget 2025-26 announced an enabling framework for the sustainable harnessing of fisheries in the EEZ and the High Seas, with a special focus on these two island territories. The rules for sustainable harnessing of fisheries in the EEZ were then notified on 4 November 2025, and the 10 November 2026 strategy is the next step: turning the framework into a concrete plan for tuna, seaweed and ornamental fish.
Pillar 1: Tuna — the centrepiece
Tuna is the development the ministry calls the centrepiece of its strategic roadmap for high-value marine fisheries. The waters around both island groups hold substantial underutilised stocks of three species — Yellowfin, Skipjack and Bigeye tuna — and the plan is to catch them with a science-based, value-chain approach: modern deep-sea vessels, selective fishing methods, better onboard handling, cold-chain expansion, processing and canning, and efficient export linkages.
In Lakshadweep, the five-year plan aims to double tuna production to 50,000 tonnes, supported by the induction of deep-sea vessels and mother vessels alongside the islands’ traditional, ecologically sound pole-and-line fishery. Pole and line — catching tuna one by one with a rod and live bait — keeps bycatch low and is the method Lakshadweep’s tuna fishery has used for generations.
In the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, a dedicated Tuna Cluster under PMMSY — notified on 29 October 2024, with projects worth ₹58.91 crore (central share ₹31.48 crore) — is accelerating fleet modernisation and infrastructure development: new vessels, upgraded fishing fleets and expanded cold storage. The Andamans’ tuna potential is estimated at about 60,000 tonnes under-exploited, with a later estimate putting it at 64,500 tonnes of oceanic and neritic tuna.
The export side is being wired in too. MPEDA’s strengthened presence in the Andamans is expected to improve market access and allow direct exports from the islands, instead of fish travelling to the mainland first. And the Budget 2025-26 cut customs duty on surimi from 30% to 5% and on fish hydrolysate from 15% to 5% — both processing inputs that help island catch become export-ready product.
Pillar 2: Seaweed — farming the lagoons
Beyond tuna, the government is advancing seaweed as a complementary pillar, and Lakshadweep has been notified as a dedicated Seaweed Cluster. The island’s clean lagoon systems offer favourable conditions for large-scale seaweed cultivation, and the roadmap envisages seed banks, hatcheries and capacity building to develop a reliable seaweed value chain.
Seaweed matters because it is not fishing at all — it is farming. It needs no wild stock, it grows in the lagoons, and it has buyers in food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and bio-industrial products. For small island households it is an extra livelihood that does not depend on the tuna season, and for the economy it is a second income stream that keeps money flowing when the boats stay in.
Pillar 3: Ornamental fisheries — the reef’s high-value export
The third pillar is ornamental fisheries, and it is the most delicate. Lakshadweep hosts over 300 reef-associated ornamental species — the small, colourful reef fish that supply the global aquarium trade. The strategic plan focuses on establishing medium-scale rearing units, promoting conservation-based and regulated collection, and improving market access for sustainably sourced aquarium species.
Done right, ornamental fish are the highest-value catch per kilo in the whole strategy: a single hand-caught reef fish can be worth more than a kilo of tuna. Done wrong, they are the fastest way to damage the reef the other two pillars depend on — which is why the strategy stresses rearing units and regulated collection rather than open harvest.
The infrastructure behind the plan
None of the three pillars works without somewhere to land, chill and ship the catch. The strategy channels investment across the value chain: fish landing centres, ice plants, cold-chain networks, onboard preservation systems, fish aggregating devices, boat-building yards, value-addition units and export facilitation systems.
One named project is the Smart & Integrated Fishing Harbour at Mayabunder in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, worth ₹199.24 crore. The aim of all of it is the same: cut post-harvest losses, build local capacity, and make island-based fisheries ready for domestic and export markets instead of exporting raw fish and importing the value back.
How the plan fits together: the timeline
| Budget 2019-20 | PMMSY first announced |
| 20 May 2020 | Cabinet approves PMMSY, outlay ₹20,050 crore |
| 10 September 2020 | PMMSY launched as part of the AatmaNirbhar Bharat package |
| 29 October 2024 | Andaman & Nicobar Tuna Cluster notified under PMMSY |
| February 2025 | Union Budget 2025-26 announces the EEZ and High Seas enabling framework, with special focus on the two island territories |
| 4 November 2025 | Rules for sustainable harnessing of fisheries in the EEZ notified; free Access Pass through the ReALCRaft portal for mechanised and large motorised vessels (foreign vessels not eligible) |
| 10 November 2026 | Island fisheries strategy released: tuna, seaweed and ornamental fisheries at the centre of the Blue Economy push |
What it means for island fishers — practically
A strategy is a plan, not a payment. Here is what island fishers, fish farmers and small fisheries businesses should actually take from the announcement:
- Get on the National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP). Registration on NFDP is mandatory for availing benefits under PM-MKSSY — the aquaculture insurance incentive, performance grants, institutional credit and cooperative support. More than 39 lakh fishers and stakeholders are already registered; if you are not, you are outside the system the money flows through.
- Watch the clusters, not the headlines. The real opportunities will come through the Tuna Cluster (Andamans) and the Seaweed Cluster (Lakshadweep) — vessel support, seed banks, hatcheries, training and cold-chain access are delivered through cluster projects, not through a single national application window. The 10 November release announced no new application window or deadline.
- Deep-sea fishing now has a legal route. The EEZ Rules notified on 4 November 2025 and the free Access Pass through the ReALCRaft portal give mechanised and large motorised vessels a formal way to fish the EEZ. Foreign vessels are not eligible — the resource is reserved for Indian fishers.
- Seaweed and ornamental fish are the new doors. Tuna needs a boat and a crew; seaweed farming and ornamental rearing need far less capital, and both are explicitly part of the island plan. Small households and women’s groups should ask their fisheries department about seaweed seed and rearing-unit support under the clusters.
- Do not pay anyone for enrolment. No new scheme, subsidy or enrolment window was announced in this release. Anyone asking for money to register you for the island tuna or seaweed plan is running a scam.
The honest caveats the announcement skips
A good strategy deserves honest reading. Three things in the fine print matter.
First, the tuna target runs into a shared, overfished stock. Yellowfin tuna — one of the three target species — is assessed as overfished and subject to overfishing across the Indian Ocean by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the regional body that manages these stocks. Tuna migrate, so a fish India leaves in the water can be caught by another country’s fleet, and IOTC members have been asked to show voluntary restraint. The 50,000-tonne target says nothing about how it fits those limits.
Second, pole and line depends on the reef. Lakshadweep’s traditional tuna method needs live bait — small fish caught on the reef. CMFRI scientists found many hard coral species in Lakshadweep bleached badly after marine heatwaves that began in late October 2023, with heat stress above 4 °C-weeks on the Degree Heating Week scale. Bleached coral holds fewer reef fish, so there is less bait for the tuna fishery and fewer of the ornamental species the third pillar wants. The three pillars draw on one stressed reef system.
Third, sanctioned boats are not boats at sea. The mainland record is a warning: under PMMSY, 50 deep-sea fishing vessels were sanctioned for Andhra Pradesh and state reports say only 6 of them are operating, with most of the project money tied up in vessels that are not fishing. The island plan depends on deep-sea vessels, mother vessels and the Mayabunder harbour actually reaching the water. Allocations of ₹218 crore and ₹175 crore are promises of money, not proof of delivery.
Frequently asked questions
What was announced on 10 November 2026?
The Ministry of Fisheries released its island fisheries strategy, putting Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands at the centre of India’s Blue Economy push, built on tuna, seaweed and ornamental fisheries.
What is the 50,000-tonne tuna target?
A five-year plan to double Lakshadweep’s tuna production to 50,000 tonnes, using deep-sea vessels, mother vessels and the traditional pole-and-line fishery. It is a target, not a result, and no completion date was given.
How much money has been allocated to the islands?
Under PMMSY, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have been allocated ₹218 crore and Lakshadweep ₹175 crore. These are allocations for fisheries development, not money already spent.
Is there a new scheme or application window for fishers?
No. The release announced a strategy and clusters, not a new subsidy or enrolment window. Benefits under PMMSY and PM-MKSSY continue through the existing channels, and NFDP registration remains the gateway.
Which tuna species are targeted?
Yellowfin, Skipjack and Bigeye tuna. Yellowfin is assessed as overfished in the Indian Ocean by the IOTC, so the expansion will need to be managed carefully.
What is the Seaweed Cluster?
Lakshadweep has been notified as a dedicated Seaweed Cluster under PMMSY, with plans for large-scale cultivation, seed banks, hatcheries and capacity building, aimed at food, nutraceutical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and bio-industrial markets.
Read more on Fisheries India
- Sikkim Fish Farmers Get Organic SOP + ₹375 Lakh — how another cluster works: India’s first organic fisheries cluster in Soreng, Sikkim, and the new certification SOP for the Northeast.
- Andaman Aquaculture Training Oct 28–31: Apply by Oct 23 — the Andaman administration’s brackish-water aquaculture and cage-culture training with ICAR-CIBA.
- ICAR-CIFT to GI-Tag Andaman’s Dollar Fish & Smoked Fish — how the Andamans are turning local fish into premium, protected products.
- NFDP Hits 39 Lakh Fishers: Get Your Digital ID Now — why registering on the National Fisheries Digital Platform is now mandatory for PM-MKSSY benefits.
Official links and sources
- PIB release, 10 November 2026 (republished in full) — island fisheries strategy; 11,099 km coastline; EEZ nearly 24 lakh sq km; marine potential 58.6 lakh MT; ~50 lakh fishers; seafood exports ~₹73,890 crore FY 2025-26; ₹39,272 crore committed since 2015; A&N ₹218 crore and Lakshadweep ₹175 crore under PMMSY; Budget 2025-26 EEZ/High Seas framework; islands nearly 40% of EEZ; tuna species Yellowfin/Skipjack/Bigeye; Lakshadweep five-year plan to double tuna to 50,000 tonnes; A&N Tuna Cluster; MPEDA stronger presence; Lakshadweep Seaweed Cluster; 300+ ornamental species; Mayabunder harbour
- DD India, 10 November 2026 — same PIB release: allocations, 50,000-tonne plan, Seaweed and Tuna Clusters, Budget 2025-26 framework
- Nation Press, 10 November 2026 — ministry statement of 10 November 2026; ₹39,272 crore since 2015; ₹218 crore / ₹175 crore allocations; 58.6 lakh MT potential
- Learn Through Practice, 10 November 2026 (PIB-based note with ministry background material) — A&N EEZ 6.60 lakh sq km / potential 1.48 lakh tonnes; Lakshadweep EEZ 4 lakh sq km / potential ~1 lakh tonne; untapped island potential ~2.5 lakh tonnes; A&N tuna potential ~60,000 MT (later estimate 64,500 MT); Tuna Cluster notified 29 Oct 2024, projects ₹58.91 crore (central share ₹31.48 crore); EEZ Rules notified 4 Nov 2025; Access Pass free via ReALCRaft; surimi duty 30% to 5%, fish hydrolysate 15% to 5%; PMMSY outlay ₹20,050 crore, Cabinet 20 May 2020, launched 10 Sep 2020; Mayabunder harbour ₹199.24 crore; IOTC yellowfin overfished; CMFRI Lakshadweep coral bleaching after heatwaves from late Oct 2023; Andhra Pradesh deep-sea vessels — 50 sanctioned, 6 operating per state reports
All facts above were verified on 10 November 2026 against the sources listed. The 50,000-tonne tuna figure is a five-year target, not a result; the ₹218 crore and ₹175 crore figures are PMMSY allocations, not money spent; and the 10 November release announced no new application window or deadline. The IOTC yellowfin assessment, the CMFRI coral-bleaching finding and the Andhra Pradesh vessel figures are included as honest context, attributed to their sources in the text. Images in this post are illustrations.