GENERAL ARTICLE

Export of fishery products from India: status,

challenges and the way forward
A. Suresh*, Satyen Kumar Panda and V. Chandrasekar

Marine products have remained a consistent and leading foreign exchange earner to India for a long
time. This study analyses the status and trend in marine products export from India and sketches the
way ahead. Augmenting exports without hampering domestic nutritional security calls for enhancing
domestic fish production through science-based culture practices, promoting value addition, improv-
ing quality assurance systems and effecting enabling policy changes.
Keywords: Aquaculture, food safety, shrimp export, SPS measures, value addition.

MARINE products constitute a major group of primary ag- Projected exports

ricultural commodities exported from India. In 2019–20, the
country exported marine products worth USD 6.68 billion The global export of marine products for human consump-
(Rs 46,663 crores), accounting for about 4.1% of the global tion is projected to be 47 mt by 2030, compared to 43 mt
seafood export and 19% of India’s total agricultural ex- in 2018 (ref. 8). Thus, of the incremental production of
ports1. During 2010–20, marine products have shown the 26 mt during 2018–30, only 4 mt would enter the export
highest growth rate among export of several agricultural market, and the rest would be consumed domestically
commodities. The Government of India (GoI) has declared along with diversion for non-consumption purposes. The
its intention to increase the fish export earnings to Rs one domestic demand for fish in developing countries is bound
lakh crore by 2024–25 (ref. 2) and has earmarked an amount to increase due to growth in real per capita income, urbaniza-
of Rs 200 billion to be expended on the fisheries sector tion, and changes in the taste and preference of consumers9.
over five years from FY 2020–21. China has already emerged as a leading global consumer
Achieving the export targets calls for focused attention of marine products and also the leading importer, driven
on the entire value chain, including production and pro- mainly by rising national income10. During 1961–2011, Chi-
cessing. In this context, this study examines the performance na’s GDP grew double that of the developing countries, with
of marine products from India and discusses the prospects a fourfold increase in daily fish intake11. Domestic fish
of improving them. consumption in India is also bound to increase, leaving
a lesser quantity for export, thus impacting export pros-
pects.
Trends in the export of fishery products from
India
Growth performance in the export of marine
products
The trends and pattern of export of agricultural commodities
have shifted with the liberalization of the economy and In-
Table 1 shows the growth of marine products export during
dia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO)
2000–20, classified into two equal sub-periods of 2000–01
with effect from 1995, and several other bilateral and mul-
to 2009–10 and 2010–11 to 2019–20. The trend growth rate
tilateral agreements that the country has entered into there-
was estimated by the least square regression method using
after3–5. During 1995–96 to 2019–20, marine products export
data collected from the Marine Products Export Develop-
from India grew from 0.3 to 1.29 million tonnes (mt), with a
ment Authority (MPEDA), GoI. In order to avoid wide
corresponding improvement in earnings from USD 1.1
fluctuations and provide stable growth rates, a triennial end-
million to 6.68 billion6 (Figure 1). The share of exported fish
ing average was used. Data for 2020–21 were not used, as
products was around 10–13% of the total production during
the export during this period was impacted by the COVID-
the entire period7.
19 pandemic. During the entire period, export growth was
at a rate of 10.7% yr–1 – 12.5% yr–1 during the latter period
compared to 5.6% yr–1 in the former. However, the second
The authors are in the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, period had lower growth at a disaggregated level, except for
Kochi 682 029, India. frozen shrimp and live items. The growth of frozen shrimp
*For correspondence. (e-mail: [email protected]) export propelled the total exports during the latter period.

664 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 124, NO. 6, 25 MARCH 2023

 GENERAL ARTICLE

Figure 1. Trends in the export of marine products from India, 1995–96 to 2019–20.

Table 1. Export of marine products during 1990–2020 and its trend growth rate, disaggregated into two time periods, by fish products (based on
triennial ending average)

Export (000 USD) Growth rate (% yr–1)

Items 1999–2000 2009–10 2019–20 2000–01 to 2009–10 2010–11 to 2019–20 Overall

Frozen shrimp 837 (70.0) 901 (45.5) 4783 (70.0) 0.6 18.9 10.4
Frozen fin fish 148 (12.3) 377 (19.1) 649 (9.5) 11.6 2.7 10.4
Frozen cuttle fish 74 (6.2) 183 (9.3) 313 (4.6) 14.6 4.3 9.6
Frozen squid 69 (5.8) 125 (6.3) 353 (5.2) 8.5 8.0 10.3
Dried items 10 (0.8) 122 (6.2) 165 (2.4) 26.6 –0.1 17.1
Live items 9 (0.8) 23 (1.2) 49 (0.7) 10.2 7.7 11.9
Chilled items 10 (0.8) 45 (2.3) 94 (1.4) 15.5 7.1 15.5
Others 39 (3.3) 204 (10.3) 425 (6.2) 17.1 6.5 11.6
Total 1196 (100) 1980 (100) 6830 (100) 5.6 12.5 10.7
Source: Calculated by the authors’ data from MPEDA6. Figures in parentheses indicate percentage of the total.

Frozen shrimp accounted for more than 70% of the export Trend in the unit value of Indian export
(in 2019–20). In terms of absolute quantity, the export of
fish is on the increase. Given the slow growth of marine cap- The unit value of Indian export is low. From 2000–01 to
ture fish production, mainly fin fish, increasing its exports 2019–20, unit prices have grown at a rate of 3.46% yr–1.
could impact nutritional security, particularly in the coastal The growth rate of unit price for overall export for China,
regions where fish is a major dietary component and pro- Japan, EU, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the USA
tein source. was 9.9%, –0.23%, 3.75%, 2.61%, 4.76% and 2.5% yr–1
respectively. A similar analysis for exported items indicated
a growth rate of 1.13% yr–1 for frozen shrimp, 5.82% yr–1 for
Diversification of export destinations frozen fin fish and –0.04% yr–1 for dried items. The growth
rates were 4.83% yr–1, 3.96% yr–1 and 2.55% yr–1 for frozen
Diversification of export destinations is critical to reduce cuttlefish, frozen squid and live items. Poor adoption of
market risks and realize higher unit prices. Indian marine high-end processing is one of the reasons for the slow
products export is concentrated in certain countries, mainly growth12. Indian export firms must venture into advanced
in the United States, focusing on frozen shrimp (Table 2). value addition, including ready-to-eat/ready-to-cook/ready-
Over the years, the export destinations have changed, charac- to-serve serve products13. Export of sashimi-grade tuna to
terized by a decline in export to certain traditional markets Japan realizes better prices but needs customized on-board
like the European Union (EU) and Japan, along with an handling, pre-processing and processing facilities14,15. An-
increase to China. Diversification of Indian exports by con- other example is the export of live fish, including lobsters
solidating the existing markets and penetrating newer and crabs, which are considered delicacies in certain coun-
markets is the need of the hour. tries16,17. Live transportation for long distances requires
CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 124, NO. 6, 25 MARCH 2023 665
GENERAL ARTICLE
Table 2. Export of marine products during 1990–2020 and its trend growth rate, disaggregated into two time periods, by export destination (based
on triennial ending average)

Export (000 USD) Growth rate (% yr–1)

Country-wise 1999–2000 2009–10 2019–20 2000–01 to 2009–10 2010–11 to 2019–20 Overall

Japan 572 (47.8) 288 (14.5) 430 (6.3) –6.9 2.6 0.9
USA 163 (13.6) 231 (11.7) 2409 (35.3) 0.8 25.4 13.2
European Union 162 (13.6) 645 (32.6) 965 (14.1) 15.6 4.6 9.4
China 156 (13.0) 305 (15.4) 804 (11.8) 9.0 3.2 5.8
Southeast Asia 78 (6.5) 216 (10.9) 1492 (21.8) 8.2 18.2 20.5
Middle East 33 (2.8) 107 (5.4) 291 (4.3) 14.7 9.7 14.4
Others 32 (2.7) 188 (9.5) 439 (6.4) 21.6 8.6 14.3
Total 1196 (100) 1980 (100) 6830 (100) 5.6 12.5 10.7
Source: Calculated by the authors’ data from MPEDA6. Figures in parentheses indicate percentage of the total.

Table 3. Change in the level of aquaculture production and its growth rate, between 2000 and 2018, by major producer
countries

Country/region 2000 (mt) 2018 (mt) Increment (mt) Per cent increase Annual growth rate (% yr–1)

Asia 28.42 72.81 44.39 156 5.4

China 21.52 47.56 26.04 121 4.5
Indonesia 0.79 5.43 4.64 587 11.3
Vietnam 0.50 4.13 3.63 726 12.4
Bangladesh 0.66 2.41 1.75 265 7.5
India 1.96 7.07 5.11 261 7.4
World 32.42 82.10 49.68 153 5.3
Source: Calculated from FAO8.

associated infrastructure18. Also, the export of ornamental aquaculture shrimp production was about 0.84 mt, of
fish is quite insignificant compared to its potential. which 92% was contributed by white leg shrimp (Leptopa-
naeus vannamei). A total area of 0.17 million hectares is
under shrimp cultivation in India (Figure 2).
Prospects for boosting India’s marine products
The estimated potential of fisheries resources in India is
export
7.16 mt, comprising 5.3 mt of conventional resources (de-
mersal and pelagics of inland, and oceanic and non-oceanic
India faces stiff competition from some Asian countries
resources of exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Andamans
for global markets, so a concerted effort is needed to boost
and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep) and 1.85 mt of non-
export earnings. This study provides a broad sketch of the
conventional resources, including deep sea myctophids,
approaches needed, focusing on four aspects: domestic fish
oceanic squids, jellyfish and marine macroalgae19. The deep-
production for exportable surplus, fish processing and value
sea harvestable potential, including oceanic tuna, is about
addition, quality assurance system and policy changes.
3.3 mt from the EEZ and areas beyond the national juris-
diction. Indian marine products export was traditionally
Technology-led augmentation of fish production dominated by wild-caught shrimp from the ocean and tiger
to generate an exportable surplus shrimp from aquaculture. The tiger shrimp was less produ-
ctive and more susceptible to white spot disease. Introduc-
GoI has proposed a target of 22 mt of marine products by tion of the specific pathogen-free spawn of L. vannamei led
2024–25 from 13.7 mt in the year 2020–21, warranting a to an exponential increase in both production and export
growth rate of 9–10% yr–1. As of 2021, marine fisheries ac- of shrimp20,21. Given the diminished scope for furthering
count for only 35% of total fish production. Further, its fish production from marine capture fisheries, culture fishe-
growth has been stagnating (2.1% yr–1 during 2000–20). ries need to be focused on both inland and marine waters.
Therefore, the increased export is to be from aquaculture. India has rich water resources comprising of rivers and ca-
Despite a high growth rate of about 7.8% yr–1, India’s aqua- nals (0.25 m km), small reservoirs (1.78 m ha), medium and
culture sector performs poorly compared to the competing large reservoirs (2.2 m ha), tanks and ponds (9.2 m ha),
countries, warranting focused attention (Table 3). backwaters (1.07 m ha), and of beels/lakes/derelict water
The total production of crustaceans in India (mainly (0.45 m ha); and an area of 2.02 million in seas under EEZ19.
constituted by shrimp production) increased from 0.13 mt Technologies in the domain of breeding, feed management,
in 1970 to 1.19 mt in 2017 (ref. 7). As of 2020–21, the total and disease management and surveillance are well developed

666 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 124, NO. 6, 25 MARCH 2023

 GENERAL ARTICLE

Figure 2. Area, production and productivity of aquaculture shrimp in India from 2010–11 to
2020–21. Source: Calculated using data from MPEDA6.

in India20, which would serve as the engine of future growth processed products include canned fish, battered and
of aquaculture. breaded items like fish fingers, retort pouch products, stuffed
In India, the technological backstopping for fisheries products and steamed products. The number of fish pro-
and aquaculture is provided majorly by institutions under cessing units has increased from 340 in 2007–08 to 593 in
the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), colleges 2018–19 (ref. 21) and further to 625 as on October 2022,
and universities. Besides contributing to fish production with a total processing capacity of 36,300 t. The fish pro-
through culture and capture technologies, these institutions cessing sector generates attractive profits – while the gross
have developed technologies in processing and value addi- fixed capital formation (GFCF) in the fish processing sector
tion, packaging, quality assurance and testing for chemical increased from Rs 591 crores in 2011–12 to Rs 953 crores
and microbial contaminations. Further, they are involved in in 2016–17, the profits have increased from Rs 263 crores
developmental activities, regulations, and capacity devel- to Rs 1011 crores22.
opment by being part of the panel of experts of the Export Capacity utilisation is relatively low (15-25%), owing
Inspection Council, providing training on regulatory norms primarily to a scarcity of fish for processing and value ad-
like Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCPs), dition22,23. The exportable surplus can be improved by im-
inspection and approval of seafood exporting firms, develop- porting fish to India to process it domestically and re-
ing and implementing biosecurity norms, developing quar- export, as is successfully practised by several countries in
antines guidelines and facilities20. Asia, notably Vietnam. This could warrant a strict quaran-
In order to augment production and link it to export tine facility that can be established at designated ports. Inno-
markets, the potential of the small-scale aquaculturists and vative technologies like thermal processing, high-pressure
fishers is to be leveraged fully. The small-scale fishers must processing, pulse light technology, e-beam radiation and
be supported with affordable technologies which are less radiofrequency heating have been developed for export-
capital-intensive. One important measure is to organize them oriented processing20.
into groups to leverage economies of scale, particularly in
procuring inputs and output marketing. Self-help groups,
Adherence to food safety measures
producer organizations (of fishers and fish farmers) and
contract farming are some options. Further, encouraging
Marine exports from India have to adhere to food safety and
smallholders to utilize water bodies for fish culture would
quality standards. The Codex Alimentarius Commission,
increase fish production. However, it would require aug-
an organization jointly established by World Health Organi-
mented institutional support in inputs and technologies
zation (WHO) and Food and Agricultural Organization
(fish seed, fish feed and agrochemicals) and extension sup-
(FAO), has proposed a slew of measures known HACCPs
port (information and training).
as a global standard to be followed. Though WTO encour-
ages members to use standards recommended by CAC,
Processing and value addition of fish countries generally follow different standards. While USA,
the largest importer of fish from India, follows HACCPs
About 75% of the fish produced is marketed fresh, and only to govern food safety and quality, the EU follows the Rapid
about 15% is processed19. Shrimps, squids, cuttlefish and Alert System for Food and Feed, which is stricter than
some finfish, are mainly processed for export. The major HACCAPs. The food safety regulations set by the EU are

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 124, NO. 6, 25 MARCH 2023 667

GENERAL ARTICLE

harmonized, get periodically updated and are based on the Strengthening the framework of enforcement and
principles of risk assessment24. Japan has its measures of surveillance
food safety regulations on imports and advocates a positive
list system for maximum residue limits (MRL) for the The scope and capacity of existing compulsory food policy
presence of chemicals. The global trend is to establish instruments are to be widened to include unregulated com-
stricter quality standards that call for the enhanced cost of modities, particularly the fresh and chilled seafood sold in
compliance by the exporters. bulk in the domestic sector. The scope of the National
Residue Control Programme conducted by the EIC as a
requisite for EU requirements could be extended to include
Institutional mechanisms for ensuring quality and
all aquaculture operations and the capture fisheries sector.
safety of marine products export
A comprehensive national monitoring system for contam-
inants and residues can be instituted to evaluate food safety
Having a strong domestic food safety regulatory regime is
risks and deter inappropriate practices that harm food
a prerequisite for compliance with international sanitary and
safety.
phytosanitary (SPS) measures. The Export Inspection Coun-
cil (EIC), presently functioning under the Ministry of Com-
merce and Industries, GoI, serves as a competent authority Enabling policy changes
for trade compliance. MPEDA, a statutory body under the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GoI, promotes trade. The overall policy atmosphere of the exporting countries
The food safety scenario in India got further regularized has a significant role in promoting and facilitating export,
with the passage of the Food Safety Act in 2006 and the mainly by reducing transaction costs. The major dimensions
enactment of the Food Safety and Standards Regulation in of policy support are discussed here.
2011. All categories of food produced, marketed or distribut-
ed within the country of domestic and foreign origin must
Revisiting financial support and subsidies
comply with this regulation. The Food Safety and Stand-
ards Authority of India (FSSAI) is responsible for laying
In recent years, the financial requirements of export firms
down science-based standards for articles of food and reg-
have changed towards quality improvement rather than bulk
ulating their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and im-
processing. In the context of SPS measures and the need to
port. FSSAI has instituted a Scientific Panel on Fish and
align the existing processing facilities with the requirements
Fish Products that is primarily concerned with carrying out
of newer export destinations, the financial support accorded
a risk assessment of various commodity–hazard combina-
to the processing firms is to be revisited to realize better
tions of fish. Apart from the above-mentioned agencies,
unit value. First, the quantum of credit to the fisheries sec-
the Department of Fisheries, functioning under the Ministry
tor is to be increased. The share of the fisheries sector in
of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, GoI issues
ground-level credit to the agricultural sector as a whole
sanitary import permits for the import of seafood to India
has declined from 1.31% in 2003–04 to 0.30% in 2013–14
according to the Livestock Importation Act (1898; as amen-
(ref. 27). During 2020–21, the total long-term refinance
ded in 2001).
credit disbursed for the fisheries sector was only about
Notwithstanding these regulations, Indian seafood has
0.2% of the farm sector credit of about Rs 459 billion, and
faced several rejections and import refusals from major
only 0.1% of the total long-term refinance credit flow28.
trading blocs, but this is decreasing over time. The major
The Government has extended the Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
food safety issues fall under the domain of high levels of
facility to fishermen and aquaculturists as well, as a meas-
human pathogenic bacteria in primary production, parasitic
ure to increase short-term credit flow to the sector29, but the
infections, residues of agrochemicals, veterinary drugs and
uptake has been quite low. This warrants an initiative to
heavy-metal contamination24. Some of the management
promote credit delivery to the fisheries sector.
measures in this regard are given below.

Evolving a diversified food safety risk management Skill development in the fisheries value chain
system
Imparting skills for the development of products suitable
Due to information asymmetry and constraints in enforce- for export destinations while following international quality
ment, Government agencies often fail to manage food safety standards is a challenge and warrants professional train-
risks. Hence, there is a need to evolve a diversified food ing. The domain for skill development includes meeting
risk management system that addresses complementarity the SPS requirements, packaging technologies, advanced
among all stakeholders, including the Government, market fish processing technologies of international demand in niche
forces and citizens25. Newer technologies like machine learn- markets, quality assurance and traceability, export and in-
ing can be effectively used for this26. surance management, and financial services. The intake of
668 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 124, NO. 6, 25 MARCH 2023
 GENERAL ARTICLE

students into various branches of fisheries science is to be fish products. Convergence of these agencies is imperative
increased to meet the renewed requirements30. The de- to eliminate jurisdictional overlap and duplication of ef-
mand for fisheries professionals, para-professionals and forts by different agencies to ensure better compliance by
skilled workers engaged in a fish processing factory has producers and traders. It needs consultation of the agencies
increased and is likely to increase further31. Skill develop- concerned to develop a comprehensive approach.
ment is integral to diversifying India’s export markets, as it
warrants developing and promoting country-specific pro-
Sustainable fishery and fisheries subsidy
ducts.
Niche markets are emerging for products with smaller en-
Infrastructure development vironmental footprints. The Code of Conduct of Responsible
Fishery of FAO recommends adopting sustainable fishing
A critical issue is an inadequate infrastructure supporting practices in marine waters32. One key aspect of green fish-
fish export. India has a cold storage facility of 0.43 mt and ing is streamlining resource-depleting and market-distorting
a chilled storage facility of 24 thousand tonnes, which is subsidies into green subsidies. India accounts for only a
inadequate to support fish production and processing6. minuscule fraction of the global subsidies to the fisheries
On-board cold storage facilities can be improved by the sector – USD 0.28 billion of global fisheries subsidy
advanced technological modification of fishing vessels. amounting to USD 35.4 billion33 – which can be converted to
Reefer vehicles with adequate cold storage facilities can help green subsidies. This will prevent resource depletion and
in making quality fish available for processing and export. promote value addition.
The number of ice plants is only 52 with a capacity of
1580 tonnes daily6. Another major area of infrastructure
Diversifying export destinations
requirement is the development of hygienic fish landing
centres, which calls for structural modification in the exi-
Diversifying export destinations is critical to reducing the
sting landing centres. The formation of food processing
volatility of export earnings and addressing the disruptions
clusters would help appropriate economies of scale and
that may occur due to global economic turbulence. Several
reduce unit costs.
steps need to be considered in this context. They include
technologies for development of value-added products, in-
Coordination among different agencies in cluding ethnic fish products specific to prospective export
production, processing, quality assurance and trade destinations, developing technologies and skills in quality
assurance and traceability systems, liberalizing regulation
The fish export process involves multiple agencies dealing of import of inputs and machinery for specific product de-
with production, processing, certification, customs, market- velopment, inclusion of marine products in free trade agree-
ing, trade and financial services. Proper communication ments and trade promotion, to mention a few.
and coordination among different departments are required
to improve decision-making and implementation. The minis-
Conclusion and policy implications
tries mainly involved are Fisheries, Commerce, Agricul-
ture, Food Processing and Finance.
The marine products export has a high growth performance,
but it is mainly driven by an increase in the volume exported
Convergence in food regulation of frozen shrimp rather than by a significant increase in
the unit value arising out of advanced processing and value
In India, multiple agencies regulate the seafood sector, re- addition. Further, the exports are not geographically diversi-
sulting in persistent problems of crossover and ambiguity in fied. These issues need to be addressed by bringing in
enforcement. EIC is endowed with the task of regulating technologies and imparting skills to produce high-value
seafood export, whereas the food safety of imported and processed products. This warrants enhanced institutional
domestically marketed seafood is managed by FSSAI. Bio- support, particularly in terms of credit and technology
security measures and some of the food safety issues of im- handholding. The increased exports are to be realized with-
ported seafood are regulated by the Department of Fisheries, out compromising domestic nutritional security. The major
GoI. The coastal aquaculture activities are regulated by focus areas for improving exports include generating an
the Coastal Aquaculture Authority of India, which also as- exportable surplus, increasing unit value through impro-
sures the safety of aquaculture commodities as it certifies ved processing and value addition, strengthening the quality
antibiotic-free farm inputs (feed additives, probiotics, feed, assurance system, augmenting credit flow, streamlining
grow-out chemicals and immune-stimulants). The Bureau of subsidies and convergence of developmental agencies.
Indian Standards has formulated commodity-specific prod- The future production is to be technology-led. The Govern-
uct standards that address both the quality and safety of ment interventions are to be directed towards incentivizing

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GENERAL ARTICLE

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