Department of Fisheries Notifies Development of Tuna Cluster in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has notified the Development of Tuna Cluster in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands offers a prime opportunity for fisheries development, with around 6.0 lakh square km of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rich in under-exploited sea resources, particularly Tuna and Tuna like high valued species, estimated at 60,000 metric tons. Their proximity to Southeast Asian countries enables efficient sea and air trade, while the pristine waters support sustainable fishing practices. Coupled with effective administrative measures, the region is well-positioned to leverage its marine resources for economic growth. The notification of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a tuna cluster is expected to generate economies of scale, increase incomes, and accelerate organized growth in fisheries across the country. The initiative will help in focusing on critical investments such as organizing Investors Meetings to foster partnerships with tuna-fishing nations and implementing training and capacity-building programs, along with exposure visits for the stakeholders. Additionally, it will help in developing infrastructure for fish landing, processing and export connectivity that is essential for streamlining operations and enhancing India’s global competitiveness in the sector.
Background
The fisheries sector, a key growth driver in India’s economy, plays an essential role in enhancing national income, exports and food security, particularly benefiting rural areas. Over the past decade, the Government of India has led the sector’s transformation through flagship initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Fisheries and Acquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) and the Blue Revolution with an unprecedented investment of ₹38,572 crores since 2015. To continue the sectoral growth momentum the Department of Fisheries is further increasing its efforts on the adoption of production and processing fisheries cluster-based approach with an end-to-end value chain in fisheries and aquaculture. The cluster-based approach enhances competitiveness and efficiency by uniting geographically connected enterprises of all sizes—micro, small, medium, and large—across the entire value chain, from production to exports. This collaborative model improves financial viability through strong linkages, addresses value chain gaps, and creates new business opportunities and livelihoods. By fostering partnerships and resource sharing, it aims to reduce costs, promote innovation, and support sustainable practices.
The Department of Fisheries has envisaged a strategic focus on cluster development across key areas, including Pearl, Seaweed, and Ornamental Fisheries; Reservoir Fisheries; Fishing Harbours; Saline Water Aquaculture; Cold Water Fisheries; Sea Cage Culture; Freshwater and Brackish-Water Fisheries; Deep Sea and Oceanic Fisheries; Organic Fisheries; Wetland Fisheries, and other areas tailored to specific sectoral and regional needs. Potential cluster locations are being identified with State Governments and Union Territories based on certain parameters like Fish culture, production trends, export earnings, number of fishing boats, engagement in fisheries activities, and existing fisheries infrastructure facilities. The Department of Fisheries has already identified three locations as priority areas for development that are Hazaribagh District in Jharkhand for pearl culture, Madurai District in Tamil for ornamental fisheries and UT of Lakshadweep for seaweed.