Marine Census 2025: Digital Drive for Fisheries Data Collection Launched

The 5th Marine Census has begun with a new mobile app, VyAS-NAV, to gather data from 1.2 million fisher households across nine coastal states in India. Aimed at improving transparency and efficiency, the initiative also introduces aquaculture insurance for farmers under the PM Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana.

The 5th Marine Census operations commenced on Monday with the launch of a new mobile app aimed at streamlining data collection from 1.2 million fisher households nationwide. This digital initiative, led by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), aims to improve efficiency and transparency in data collection across nine coastal states.

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh introduced the VyAS-NAV app during a fisheries meet in Mumbai. The app is designed to digitize the data collection process, reducing manual errors and speeding up compilation. The census will conclude by December 2025, with final village enumeration expected by mid-2024.

Further, the event saw key projects worth Rs 255 crore launched under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. Additionally, the first aqua insurance was awarded under the PM Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana, providing financial support to small-scale aquaculture farmers.

(With inputs from agencies.)