While the state government has several schemes to incentivize inland fisheries, their output by value has fallen by 12.7% in the past decade, according to a report from the Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI).
Despite having the largest coastline in the county, the value of Gujarat’s marine fish output increased only marginally by 7% in the past decade, while states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal recorded much healthier growth in marine fish output from 2011-12 to 2020-21.
Inland fisheries covers operations in inland areas where entrepreneurs rear fish in specially made ponds, tanks and lakes apart from conventional fishing in rivers and downstream of dams. The value of inland fishing output in Gujarat fell from Rs 475.76 crore in 2011-12 to 415.17 crore in 2020-31, a 12.7% drop. The state recorded a high of Rs 500 crore in 2013-14, but output value has been declining steadily since. The state ranks 17th in inland fishing output value.
Bharat Modi, former president of the Porbandar Fishermen’s and Port Association said inland fishing was a lucrative business till about five years ago, but the drop in international prices of prawns has hurt it. “The state government’s policies have also changed, and many of those engaged in inland fishing have dropped out of the business,” he said.