Hon’ble Union Minister, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, chaired the 13th Governing Body Meeting of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) held on 5 November 2026 at the Padma Shri Dr. Ayyappan Conference Hall, NFDB, Hyderabad.
The meeting was also graced by Shri Vakiti Srihari, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, Government of Telangana; Shri Gabriel Denwang Wangsu, Minister for Fisheries, Government of Arunachal Pradesh; and Shri Sudhangshu Das, Minister for Fisheries, Government of Tripura. Representatives of the State/UT Fisheries Department, and 13 Non-official members of the NFDB Governing Body.
During the meeting, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj called upon NFDB to strengthen its role as a proactive development institution with greater last-mile outreach to fish farmers and closer coordination with States and UTs. He emphasised timely operationalisation and completion of projects and effective utilisation of funds to enhance fishers’ incomes and livelihood security. The Union Minister directed focused support to North-Eastern and inland States to bridge production, supply and consumption gaps and move towards self-sufficiency. Noting the increase in fish production from 141.64 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 to 197.75 lakh tonnes, he stressed further enhancement of production and productivity, with measurable outcomes guiding NFDB’s future interventions
Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary (Fisheries), Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying highlighted the efforts of the Department and States in expanding aquaculture and strengthening seafood exports, presently valued at around ₹70,000 crore. He emphasised strengthening NFDB’s digital presence and simplifying stakeholder support and feedback mechanisms to improve ease of doing business. He also called for greater private investment and entrepreneurship through cooperatives, Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs), start-ups and private entrepreneurs, while underscoring regular consultations with States and stakeholder feedback for effective implementation and continuous improvement of fisheries policies and programmes
The State Fisheries Ministers highlighted the need for strengthening fisheries infrastructure and sought continued Central support for the establishment of fish markets and Integrated Aqua Parks. They emphasised greater convergence between Fisheries and Rural Development programmes for productive utilisation of Amrit Sarovars, reservoirs and other water bodies for fisheries development. The Ministers also called for enhanced training, capacity building, inter-State and international exposure for fishers, entrepreneurs, women, Self-Help Groups and officials, along with continued training of beneficiaries under PMMSY. They further emphasised promoting fish consumption through nutrition-focused awareness initiatives.
Dr. Bijay Kumar Behera, Chief Executive, NFDB, presented an overview of the Board’s key activities, achievements and ongoing initiatives in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. He highlighted the progress made under various fisheries activities, schemes and programmes being implemented by NFDB and apprised the Governing Body of the Board’s ongoing interventions for development of the sector
The meeting reaffirmed the collective commitment of the Centre, States/UTs, NFDB and other stakeholders towards accelerating fisheries and aquaculture development through effective implementation, stronger Centre-State coordination and outcome-oriented interventions.