IBNS-CMEDIA: The Department of Fisheries, Government of India, will organise a Review Meeting on Development of Fisheries in West Bengal in Kolkata on Monday to comprehensively assess the progress of various fisheries schemes and programmes in the state.
The meeting will be co-chaired by Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, and Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Minister of West Bengal.
After more than a decade, an apex-level fisheries review meeting is being organised to assess the sector’s progress and chalk out a roadmap to harness West Bengal’s vast and largely untapped fisheries potential.
Presentations by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, and the Government of West Bengal, along with interactions with leading fisheries research, regulatory and financial institutions, will facilitate discussions on enhancing fish production, expanding aquaculture, adopting new technologies, developing infrastructure, strengthening institutional support and promoting investment.
The meeting will also be followed by the handing over of the Administrative Approval for Integrated Reservoir Development in West Bengal.
The deliberations are expected to identify priority areas for intervention and strengthen Centre-State collaboration to accelerate sustainable and inclusive growth of the fisheries sector in West Bengal.
West Bengal is the second-largest fish-producing state in the country, with fish production reaching 25.43 lakh tonnes in 2025-26.
The rise in production has been supported by an investment of Rs 617 crore under various schemes aimed at strengthening production technologies, post-harvest infrastructure, processing and capacity building. These initiatives have provided livelihood opportunities to more than 30 lakh fisherfolk and contributed to the development of a robust fisheries ecosystem backed by value chains and improved market access.
The Government of India has also notified 34 fisheries production and processing clusters, including a dry fish cluster in Purba Medinipur, West Bengal.
The Department of Fisheries is giving special emphasis to strengthening Fisheries Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs) and fisheries cooperatives, while also promoting the digitisation of the fisheries sector through various initiatives.
The review meeting is expected to provide further direction for accelerating the growth of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in West Bengal through greater convergence between the Centre, the state government and key stakeholder institutions.
The deliberations are also expected to focus on strengthening the implementation of flagship fisheries schemes and programmes, promoting technology-led and sustainable development, and increasing investments across the fisheries value chain.
The meeting will further address measures to improve fishers’ livelihoods, increase fish production and productivity, strengthen market linkages, promote ornamental fisheries, expand post-harvest infrastructure, and advance the vision of a resilient, inclusive and globally competitive fisheries sector in West Bengal.
