The Department of Fisheries, Government of India is organizing a review meeting to discuss the untapped potential of fisheries in West Bengal. The meeting will be attended by several officials and key stakeholders.
On September 20, 2026, the Department of Fisheries, Government of India organized a review meeting on the development of fisheries in West Bengal. This is the first apex level fisheries review meeting in over a decade. The meeting took place in Kolkata, West Bengal. Hon’ble Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, and Hon'ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Shri Suvendu Adhikari, were among the attendees.
The meeting aimed to review the progress of various schemes and programs in West Bengal and deliberate on key focus areas for its future development. Officials from the Department of Fisheries, GoI, West Bengal state fisheries department, National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), ICAR institutes, NBFGR, CIFE, NABARD, NCDC, CAA, EIC, Indian Coast Guard, and MPEDA also participated.
Presentations by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India and the Government of West Bengal, along with interactions with leading fisheries research, regulatory, and financial institutions, facilitated discussions on production enhancement, aquaculture expansion, technology adoption, infrastructure development, institutional support, and investment promotion. The meeting concluded with the handing over of the Administrative Approval for Integrated Reservoir Development in West Bengal.
West Bengal is the second largest fish-producing state in India, contributing 25.43 Lakh tonnes of fish production in 2025-26. An investment of Rs 617 Crore has been made under various schemes to strengthen production technologies, post-harvest infrastructure, processing, and capacity building, providing livelihood opportunities to more than 30 lakh fisherfolk. The government is also focusing on developing a robust fisheries ecosystem supported by value chain and market access.
The government of India has notified 34 fisheries production and processing clusters, including a dry fish cluster in Purba Mednipur, West Bengal. The Department of Fisheries, Government of India is giving special thrust to strengthening fisheries farmer producer organizations (FFPO) and fisheries cooperatives while also focusing on digitizing the fisheries sector through various initiatives.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
