Island Fisheries and the Blue Economy: Tuna, Seaweed and Lakshadweep Explained for UPSC

In short: India’s island territories are being placed at the centre of its push for a blue economy. Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands hold nearly 40% of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone and large underused stocks of tuna. The Government’s plan combines tuna fisheries, seaweed farming, ornamental fish and new infrastructure, but its success depends on protecting fragile reefs and giving island communities a real share of the gains.

Syllabus: GS Paper 3: Indian economy; growth and development; food processing and related industries; conservation · GS Paper 1: Distribution of key natural resources · Source: PIB, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying · 10 November 2026

Why is it in the news?

On 10 November 2026, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying set out a roadmap that puts Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at the centre of India’s blue economy push. It covers a five-year plan to double tuna production in Lakshadweep to 50,000 tonnes, a Tuna Cluster in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Seaweed Cluster in Lakshadweep and support for ornamental fisheries. The Union Budget 2025-26 had already outlined a framework for the sustainable use of fish resources in the EEZ and the high seas, with special emphasis on these two island groups.

India’s marine fisheries at a glance

Economic dimension

• Tuna: Yellowfin, skipjack and bigeye tuna around the islands are underused, high-value and suited to export. The plan covers deep-sea and mother vessels, better onboard handling, cold chains, processing and canning.
• Exports: A stronger presence of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is expected to allow direct exports from the islands instead of routing catch through the mainland.
• Seaweed: Clean lagoons in Lakshadweep suit seaweed farming, with uses in food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and bio-industrial products.
• Ornamental fish: Lakshadweep hosts over 300 reef-associated ornamental species, which can support medium-scale rearing units for the aquarium trade.

Ecological dimension

• Fragile reefs: Lakshadweep is made of coral atolls, and both island groups have reef ecosystems that are vulnerable to warming seas, bleaching and physical damage.
• Selective gear: The plan favours hook and line and pole and line methods, which catch fish one by one and cause little bycatch compared with large nets.
• Shared stocks: Tuna are highly migratory and are managed regionally by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), which has adopted catch-reduction measures for yellowfin tuna; India’s expansion must stay within such limits.
• Regulated collection: The ornamental fisheries plan relies on conservation-based and regulated collection, since over-collection can strip reefs of key species.

Social and strategic dimension

• Livelihoods: Seaweed and ornamental fisheries can create work for island households, including women, with low capital needs.
• Food and nutrition: Fish is a major source of protein for coastal and island communities.
• Maritime presence: The two island groups extend India’s reach across the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, close to major sea lanes and Southeast Asia, and a working fishing economy strengthens India’s presence in its EEZ.
• Infrastructure: Fish landing centres, ice plants, cold chains, fish aggregating devices and boat-building yards aim to cut post-harvest losses, which are high in remote islands.

Critical Analysis

The plan rightly moves from raw catch towards value addition, and it builds on traditional, low-impact methods such as Lakshadweep’s pole and line fishery. However, the islands face real limits. They are far from mainland markets, and shipping, power and cold storage are costly. Fresh water and land are scarce in Lakshadweep, which limits processing units. Large deep-sea vessels and mother vessels need capital that local fishers rarely have, so the gains could go mainly to outside firms unless ownership models such as cooperatives and fish farmer producer organisations are supported. Expansion also has to respect regional catch limits for tuna and the ecological sensitivity of reefs and of protected tribal areas in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The figures released so far describe plans and allocations; outcomes such as catch, exports and incomes from the islands will need to be tracked.

Way Forward

• Base catch targets on regular stock assessments and stay within IOTC limits for shared tuna stocks.
• Give priority to cooperatives and producer organisations of island fishers in owning vessels, processing units and seaweed farms.
• Build cold chains and renewable-powered ice plants and processing units to suit small, remote islands.
• Link island products to certification and traceability systems that fetch higher prices in export markets.
• Protect reefs through zoning, monitoring and strict rules for ornamental fish collection.
• Strengthen surveillance of the EEZ against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by foreign vessels.

India’s islands give it access to some of the richest fishing grounds in the Indian Ocean. Turning that into lasting growth depends on keeping fishing within ecological limits and making sure island communities, not only outside investors, benefit.