Lok Sabha Question No. 4055 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Marine Stewardship Council Certification
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri Ve Vaithilingam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES

## Lok Sabha

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4055 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 TH  MARCH, 2026

## Marine Stewardship Council Certification

## 4055. Shri Ve Vaithilingam:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has examined the potential benefits of Marine Stewardship Council  (MSC)  certification  for  Indian  marine  and  saline  fish  and  shrimp  varieties, including shrimp, squid, cuttlefish and octopus;

(b) if so, the details of Government measures to address technical gaps such as stock assessments, ensure compliance with the Food and Agriculture Organisation's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing and facilitate certification through third-party auditors subsidised under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY); and

(c) the steps taken by the Government to expand access to affluent global markets such as Europe and Japan, increase fisheries sector revenue by 30 per cent and ensure that certification strengthens sustainability, improves incomes and enhances India's seafood export competitiveness?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

(a)  and  (b) Ecolabelling  and  certification  schemes  for  fisheries  are  guided  by  the principles  contained  in  the  FAO  Guidelines  for  the  Ecolabelling  of  Fish  and  Fishery Products  from  Marine  Capture  Fisheries,  which  set  out  internationally  recognised principles  and  criteria  for  assessing  sustainable  fisheries  management.  The  Fishery Survey of India and ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute conduct periodic stock assessments and monitor marine finfish and shellfish resources along the Indian coast. By generating and disseminating scientific information on stock status, population dynamics, and life -history parameters, these institutions support  evidence -based management  decisions  and  provide  the  scientific  foundation  necessary  for  credible ecolabelling and certification initiatives.

Under  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Matsya  Sampada  Yojana  (PMMSY),  the  Department  of Fisheries,  Government  of  India,  is  advancing  several  strategic  initiatives  on  stock assessment and sustainable fisheries  management. These  include  the  yellowfin  tuna stock assessment undertaken by CMFRI and the marine mammal stock assessment and monitoring programmes implemented by the Fishery Survey of India.The Department of Fisheries  has  also  endorsed  the  proposal  for  Marine  Stewardship  Council  (MSC) certification of the pole -and -line skipjack tuna fishery of Lakshadweep by the Department of Fisheries, Lakshadweep. Alongside MSC certification, other internationally recognised schemes  such  as  the  Aquaculture  Stewardship  Council  (ASC)  and  Best  Aquaculture Practices (BAP) are increasingly being adopted in India, with several aquaculture farms, hatcheries, feed mills, and processing units already certified.

(c) The  Department  of  Fisheries,  Government  of  India,  has  undertaken  a  series  of stakeholder consultations and strategic engagements, including Investors' Meets in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands  and Lakshadweep Islands,  the  Coastal  States  Fisheries Meet, the Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Meet, the Seafood Exporters Meet, and the World Fisheries Day celebration on the theme 'India's Blue Transformation: Strengthening  Value  Addition  in  Seafood  Exports.' A  Round  Table  Conference  with Ambassadors and High Commissioners from 39 countries was also convened to enhance diplomatic engagement, promote collaboration in sustainable fisheries, strengthen trade relations, and advance technologies and emerging sectors in fisheries and aquaculture. The Government additionally holds bilateral meetings with major importing countries to boost seafood exports.

As part of its sustainability initiatives, the Department is promoting the installation of Turtle Excluder  Devices  (TEDs)  in  trawl  nets,  supporting  the  national  marine  mammals programme, and strengthening antibiotic residue control measures. The Department has released  the National  Framework  on  Traceability  in  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture  2025 , which  aims  to  establish  a  national  digital  traceability  system  across  fisheries  and aquaculture value chains, ensure compliance with domestic and international regulatory requirements,  enhance  food  safety  and  quality  assurance,  improve  transparency  and accountability, and facilitate market access for small-scale fishers and farmers in both domestic and international trade.

Further, the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Rules, 2025, have been notified to promote high -value, export -oriented fisheries in India's EEZ, with a focus on the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands.

The Department of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has established the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) as the nodal agency to facilitate and promote seafood exports. MPEDA undertakes brand promotion, enrols exporters, liaises  with  importers,  and  issues  key  Export  Facilitation  Certificates,  including  Catch Certificates,  Japan  Catch  Documentation  Scheme  (JCDS)  certificates,  International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) documentation, DS -2031, Certificates of Legal Origin for Chile, and Non -Radioactivity Certificates for exports to high -value markets. It also strengthens industry capacity through training programmes, awareness campaigns, workshops, and chintan shivirs .

To  expand  market  access,  MPEDA  participates  in  international  trade  fairs,  organises Buyer-Seller  Meets  (BSMs)  and  Reverse  Buyer-Seller  Meets  (RBSMs),  and  works closely with Indian Missions abroad. To ensure compliance with international quality and safety standards, the Export Inspection Council (EIC) of the Department of Commerce conducts  periodic  awareness  and  training  programmes  for  stakeholders  across  the seafood value chain.

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