High-Level Review Meeting Between Center and State Governments Concludes to Develop Fisheries in West Bengal

The Department of Fisheries, Government of India, organized a high-level meeting in Kolkata on September 21, 2026, to review the development of fisheries and aquaculture in West Bengal. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, and Shri Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Minister of West Bengal. The primary objective of the meeting was to formulate a sustainable roadmap to increase production, strengthen market linkages, and enhance value chain development to leverage the state's untapped fisheries potential.

During the meeting, Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh granted administrative approval for the central share of ₹49.95 crore for the development of six reservoirs at a total cost of ₹83.25 crore. He noted that West Bengal is the second-largest fish-producing state in the country, currently exporting fishery products worth approximately ₹5,000 crore. The Union Minister highlighted that expanding aquaculture could increase these exports to ₹15,000–20,000 crore, particularly through high-value species such as Black Tiger shrimp, mud crab, Hilsa, and ornamental fish in the Sundarbans region.

Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari expressed his commitment to working closely with the Center to highlight the potential of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, and the Sundarbans region. He emphasized the importance of initiatives such as PMMSY, the National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP), and PM-MKSSY. Additionally, he stressed the need for improved communication systems and emergency response mechanisms to ensure the safety of fishermen operating in the deep sea.

Shri Rajesh Mehta, Minister-in-Charge of the Department of Fisheries and Animal Resource Development for the Government of West Bengal, shared that the state produced 25.43 lakh metric tonnes of fish in the year 2025-26. He further mentioned that under PMMSY, activities involving a central share of ₹102.23 crore and a state share of ₹66.48 crore have been mobilized in the state.

State Chief Secretary Shri Manoj Kumar Agarwal and Secretary of the Fisheries Department Shri Shubhanjan Das also shared their views during the meeting. Shri Das stated that the fisheries sector in the state supports the livelihoods of approximately 32 lakh people. He provided updates on the upgrading of fishing harbors in Fraserganj, Kakdwip, Shankarpur, and Petuaghat.

Officials from various organizations, including ICAR institutes, NABARD, NCDC, the Indian Coast Guard, and MPEDA, participated in the event. Various research institutions assured technical cooperation in areas such as broodstock management, hatchery certification, and Rainbow Trout farming in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.