Centre Clears ₹199 Cr Smart Fishing Harbour at Mayabunder to Boost Blue Economy

Planned in line with the Blue Port Initiative, the Mayabunder harbour will feature safe landing and berthing facilities for 430 fishing vessels and handle an annual fish landing capacity of 9,900 tonnes.

In a major push to strengthen India’s blue economy and modernise fisheries infrastructure, the Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, has approved the Development of a Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour at Mayabunder in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands at an estimated cost of ₹199.24 crore.

The project will be funded with 100 percent Central Financial Assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and implemented by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration.

High-tech harbour under Blue Port Initiative

Planned in line with the Blue Port Initiative, the Mayabunder harbour will feature safe landing and berthing facilities for 430 fishing vessels and handle an annual fish landing capacity of 9,900 tonnes. The facility will integrate latest technologies and IoT-enabled systems, focusing on sustainable fisheries management, efficient fish handling, improved safety standards, energy-efficient operations, and digital traceability.

The project is also expected to play a key role in combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing through environmentally responsible practices, while supporting India’s commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Employment and livelihood boost

Officials said the smart harbour will generate significant employment opportunities across the fisheries value chain, enhance incomes of fishers and allied stakeholders, and strengthen livelihoods in the region. The integrated infrastructure is expected to improve post-harvest handling, reduce losses, and raise the overall value of marine catch from the Islands.

Unlocking Andaman & Nicobar’s fisheries potential

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands have a vast marine resource base, with an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of nearly 6 lakh square kilometres and an estimated 60,000 metric tonnes of tuna and tuna-like species, including 24,000 MT of Yellowfin and 2,000 MT of Skipjack tuna.

To catalyse investment and value-chain development, the Department of Fisheries organised an Investors Meet on fisheries and aquaculture opportunities in the Islands in November 2024, led by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh. Investors specialising in tuna fishing technologies, seaweed farming and allied infrastructure participated. Under PMMSY, a Tuna Cluster has also been notified in the Islands to strengthen infrastructure, training, investor partnerships and global competitiveness.

Part of a fast-growing national sector

India’s fisheries sector has seen strong growth, backed by public investments exceeding ₹39,000 crore across production, infrastructure, technology, fisher welfare and post-harvest value chains. National fish production has more than doubled over the past decade—from 96 lakh tonnes in 2013–14 to nearly 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024–25. Seafood exports have also doubled in value, reaching ₹62,408 crore, with exports to around 130 countries.

Strategic step towards ₹1 lakh crore exports

The approval of the Mayabunder Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour is being seen as a strategic intervention to unlock the fisheries potential of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and support India’s ambition of achieving ₹1 lakh crore in seafood exports by 2030–31.