India’s Cold Water Fisheries

India’s Cold Water Fisheries Latest News

India’s cold water fisheries sector is emerging as an important component of the Blue Economy by generating livelihoods, improving nutrition, promoting eco-tourism, and supporting sustainable mountain development.

About India’s Cold Water Fisheries

• Cold-water fisheries are practiced in high-altitude snow-fed rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs with temperatures ranging between 5°C and 25°C, dissolved oxygen above 6 mg/L, and pH levels between 6.5 and 8.0. 
• They flourish across Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, along with hill districts of West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. 
• Together, these ecosystems cover more than 5.33 lakh sq. km. of mountainous terrain. 
• India has identified over 278 cold-water fish species. 
• Species such as rainbow trout, golden mahseer, and snow trout are cultivated using specialized infrastructure, including hatcheries, raceways, RAS, biofloc systems, and cold chain facilities. 
• Trout farming is generally practiced above 1,500 metres altitude, while mahseer culture is suitable at relatively lower elevations. 
• Current Status and Production:
  • India’s total fish production reached approximately 197.75 lakh tonnes during 2024–25, with cold-water fisheries contributing nearly 3 percent of inland fish production. 
  • National cold-water fish production currently stands at around 7,000 metric tonnes. 
  • Trout production alone has increased nearly 1.8 times over the last decade to about 6,000 metric tonnes in 2024–25. 
  • Jammu & Kashmir has emerged as India’s leading trout-producing region, followed by Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• Policy Initiatives: 
  • Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) during 2020–26, projects worth over ₹5,638.76 crore sanctioned specifically for cold-water states.
  • The Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) approved projects worth ₹7,761.78 crore during 2018–26 for hatcheries, training centres, and fisheries infrastructure. 
  • The Blue Revolution Scheme (2015–20) laid the foundation for scientific trout farming through support for raceways, hatcheries, and reservoir stocking. 
  • Under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), with an outlay of ₹6,000 crore, support is being provided for aquaculture insurance, performance grants to fisheries startups/microenterprises, and value chain efficiency.
  • The Government has also issued Model Guidelines for Cold Water Fisheries Development, 2026, covering site selection, hatchery standards, disease management, biosecurity, branding, certification, e-trading, and skill development. 
  • India is also strengthening international collaborations with Norway and Iceland for knowledge exchange.

Source: NOA

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