Cold water fisheries in India

• 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. 

• Once limited to traditional fishing in Himalayan streams, the sector has evolved into a modern aquaculture ecosystem supported by scientific farming and advanced infrastructure.

• India’s total fish production reached approximately 197.75 lakh tonnes during 2024-25, with cold water fisheries contributing nearly 3 per cent of inland fish production.

• National cold water fish production currently stands at around 7,000 metric tonnes, while trout production alone has increased nearly 1.8 times over the last decade to about 6,000 metric tonnes in 2024-25.

• Cold water fisheries in India are no longer a marginal activity confined to remote streams. 

J&K is India’s leading trout producing region

• 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. 

• Species such as rainbow trout, golden mahseer, and snow trout are cultivated using specialised infrastructure including hatcheries, raceways, Recirculating Aquaculture System (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.

• Cold-water fisheries 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, making the sector important for biodiversity conservation and sustainable mountain development.

• Jammu & Kashmir has emerged as India’s leading trout producing region with around 3,010 MT production in 2024-25, supported by the Kokernag hatchery and over 2,000 private trout units.

• Across cold-water states, 23.51 lakh families have received livelihood support, while 33.78 lakh fishers have been covered under insurance schemes. 

• Jammu & Kashmir alone has over 31,000 registered fishers and fish farmers.

Govt initiatives

• The government of India has made substantial investments in cold water fisheries infrastructure through flagship schemes and targeted interventions.

• The development of cold water fisheries has been driven by sustained policy interventions through the Blue Revolution Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), and extension of Kisan Credit Card facilities to fishers.

• Under PMMSY during 2020-26, projects worth Rs 21,963.48 crore have been approved nationally, including over Rs 5,638.76 crore sanctioned specifically for cold water states. 

• State-specific investments include Rs 317.25 crore for Uttarakhand, Rs  155.48 crore for Himachal Pradesh, Rs 149.73 crore for Jammu & Kashmir, and Rs 33.49 crore for Ladakh. 

• The FIDF approved projects worth Rs 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 PM-MKSSY with an outlay of Rs 6,000 crore, support is being provided for aquaculture insurance, performance grants to fisheries startups/microenterprises, and value chain efficiency — directly benefiting cold water fish farmers.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)