Govt to explore possibility of PLI scheme for seafood MSMEs

New Delhi: The Fisheries Department will explore the possibility of formulating a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for MSMEs in the seafood sector aimed at improving international competitiveness, export-oriented infrastructure, and promoting value addition, the government said Thursday.

The issue came up in a high-level joint meeting between commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, and minister of fisheries, animal husbandry & dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, to deliberate on a roadmap to accelerate the growth of India’s seafood sector.

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“The proposed framework aims to substantially increase the share of value-added seafood products in India’s total seafood exports and expand the number of seafood exporters from around 1,200 presently to 5,000 in the coming years,” the commerce and industry ministry said in a statement.

Focused interventions will be undertaken to promote sustainable harvesting, processing, branding and export of tuna and other high-value marine products along with a comprehensive assessment of export potential and infrastructure gaps across states.

The meeting highlighted the need for an integrated approach towards addressing Sanitary and Phytosanitary issues in aquaculture and capture fisheries. Efforts will be undertaken to strengthen traceability, quality assurance systems, disease-free zones and compliance with international food safety standards from the primary production stage onwards. Possibilities for GI tagging of seafood species and products will also be explored.