National Marine Fisheries Census: Household enumeration to be launched on Friday
A significant nationwide initiative to document the status of India’s marine fishing community is set for an official launch on Friday, marking the household enumeration phase for the 5th Marine Fisheries Census (MFC)-2025.
Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian will officially launch the initiative and a related national workshop at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) on Friday.
The MFC 2025 will cover more than 1.2 million fisher households across India’s coastal states and Union Territories, providing crucial data for sustainable fisheries management and policy planning. The Census is coordinated by the Department of Fisheries under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with CMFRI as the nodal agency and Fishery Survey of India (FSI) as the operational partner.
Enumerators selected from the local fishing community will reach every marine fisherman household for a 45-day data collection exercise.
Conducted once every five years by the CMFRI, the Marine Fisheries Census collects detailed information on marine fishers, their households, fishing crafts, and gears. Unlike previous editions, the MFC 2025 is the first-ever fully digital and geo-referenced marine fisheries census.
Customised mobile and tablet-based applications developed by CMFRI will be used for this edition for data collection in a bid to reduce manual errors and accelerate data compilation for policy-level use. The event will also feature the release of two major digital tools — Vyas Bharat and Vyas Sutra apps — developed by CMFRI to streamline data collection and analysis during the census.
The initiative is expected to provide invaluable insights for improving the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities and strengthening the nation’s marine fisheries governance.
The Minister will also inaugurate the National Marine Fisheries Data Centre at CMFRI. The centre will serve as a central repository for comprehensive fisheries data across India.
Published on October 29, 2025
