CHENNAI, 12 February 2026: With nearly one-third of the global fish catch lost or wasted during post-harvest processing, the Centre is looking to boost India’s seafood economy by shifting focus from volume-driven growth to value addition and sustainability-led reforms.
Addressing a global workshop on the sidelines of the World Seafood Congress in Chennai, Union Fisheries Joint Secretary Sagar Mehra said India must transition towards responsible and circular value chains in the marine sector.
“India currently produces around 20 million tonnes of fish, reflecting significant growth in recent years. The need of the hour is to move from linear production models to circular systems through scientific utilisation of by-products and reduction of post-harvest losses,” Mehra said.
He emphasised that reducing wastage and strengthening value addition would form the core of India’s marine ingredients strategy. He also noted that global buyers increasingly demand responsibly sourced and fully traceable supply chains aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), calling for stronger governance and stakeholder collaboration.
Mehra stressed that sourcing practices must remain both ecologically sustainable and economically viable, ensuring long-term stability and inclusion of small-scale fisheries and coastal communities.
The workshop, organised by the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) in association with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), deliberated on strategies to reduce post-harvest losses, improve regulatory frameworks and promote value-added products from fish by-products.
Senior Executive Director of the National Fisheries Development Board, Dr. Kannappan, highlighted the potential of products such as chitin and chitosan derived from crustacean waste, noting their growing biomedical and industrial applications. He underscored the importance of circular economy principles to enhance resource efficiency.
Indian Marine Ingredients Sector Association President Davood Sait pointed to traceability gaps as a major challenge for export competitiveness, while BOBP-IGO Director Dr. P. Krishnan stressed that sustainable fisheries growth will depend on innovation, institutional coordination and adherence to credible global certification systems.
The meet called for stronger collaboration among industry, academia and government to build a sustainability-driven seafood economy.