The Marine Fisheries Census 2025 is set to begin across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from November 3 to December 18, as part of a nationwide data collection effort coordinated by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India. The Fishery Survey of India (FSI) has been tasked with conducting the exercise in Union Territories, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in close coordination with the Directorate of Fisheries, A&N Administration.
The census aims to collect detailed information on the marine fisheries sector, including population profiles of fisherfolk, fishing crafts and gear, landing centres, infrastructure, and socio-economic conditions of fishing communities. The findings will provide critical inputs for policy formulation, fisheries infrastructure development, and the sustainable management of marine resources.
Enumerators have undergone dedicated training to ensure the accuracy and comprehensiveness of data collection. They will visit every marine fishing village, landing centre, and fisher household across the islands. The census will help map the structure and dynamics of the local fishing economy, supporting future government initiatives in livelihood enhancement, marine resource conservation, and coastal community welfare.
An inaugural function marking the start of the enumerators’ training programme was held today. Ms. Jagtap Kalyani Rajendra, Director of Fisheries, A&N Administration, attended as the chief guest and distributed tablets to Field Level Coordinators (FLCs) for data entry, besides releasing the official Marine Fisheries Census 2025 pamphlets.
Earlier, Dr. C. Babu, Fisheries Scientist, welcomed participants, followed by a presidential address from Shri Bala Nayak, Mechanical Marine Engineer. Shri Kastub Bargode, Senior Scientific Assistant, proposed the vote of thanks. A practical session was conducted by Dr. Babu, who provided hands-on training on using the VyAS Bharath app, the digital tool designed for enumerators to capture field data in real time.
The training programme saw participation from the Deputy Director of Fisheries (Nicobar District), Assistant Director of Fisheries (South Andaman District), and fisheries officials, along with Sagar Mitras and enumerators from the South Andaman District, who attended in person. Their counterparts from the North & Middle Andaman and Nicobar Districts joined the session virtually.
Officials from the Fishery Survey of India urged all fishers and stakeholders to extend their full cooperation to the enumerators. They emphasized that accurate and transparent data collection is crucial to shaping the future of India’s marine fisheries sector and ensuring that the benefits of sustainable development reach coastal communities across the islands.
