**Executive Summary**
The Department of Fisheries, Government of India, is organizing a National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries in Srinagar on March 14, 2026. This event, presided over by Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, aims to foster dialogue on sustainable cold water fisheries. Key action items include the release of "Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold Water Fisheries" and distribution of benefits and awards.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Event Details:**
* A National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries is being organized by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry And Dairying, Government of India.
* The conference will be held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.
* The event is scheduled for March 14, 2026.
* This is described as a "first-of-its-kind" national dialogue.
* **Key Release and Distribution:**
* Union Minister FAHD Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh will release the "Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold Water Fisheries."
* Scheme benefits will be distributed to Traditional and Progressive Cold-Water fishers, Fisheries Cooperatives under PM-MKSSY, and Kisan Credit Card beneficiaries.
* Awards will be presented to the Best FFPOs and Best Fisheries Start-ups from Jammu & Kashmir.
* **Conference Objectives and Scope:**
* The conference aims to provide a platform for policymakers, experts, researchers, and stakeholders to explore collaborative pathways for sectoral advancement.
* It seeks to accelerate sustainable growth in the Cold Water fisheries sector through knowledge exchange and alignment of national and state priorities.
* The event will cover thematic areas including research and innovation, technology adoption, infrastructure expansion, institutional convergence, and entrepreneurship development.
* **Government Initiatives and Investments:**
* A dedicated investment of ₹2,299.56 crore has been sanctioned to Cold Water states under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for modernization, hatcheries, seed and feed systems, raceway facilities, cold-chain networks, and livelihood activities.
* Over the past decade, an investment of over ₹39,272 crore has been envisaged for fisheries, with projects worth ₹34,266 crore already approved.
* Under PMMSY, approvals include 5,600 raceways, 54 hatcheries, 5,600 trout rearing units, 293 cold storages, 8,044 transport vehicles, and 260 feed mills.
* Insurance support has been provided to 33.78 lakh fishermen, and livelihood and nutritional support to 23.51 lakh families.
* Four Integrated Aqua Parks (IAP) are approved for cold water fisheries at Anantnag (Kashmir), Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand), Ziro (Arunachal Pradesh), and Mokokchung (Nagaland).
* Cold Water fisheries clusters have been notified, with specific leading districts identified in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.
* **Future Technological Integration:**
* The Department of Fisheries is integrating unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) into aquaculture logistics to strengthen supply chains for inland and high-altitude aquaculture.
* A pilot demonstrated that drone transport can reduce spoilage, improve market access, and enhance farmer returns in remote areas.
**Impact Analysis**
* **Traditional and Progressive Cold-Water Fishers**
* **Impact:** Will receive benefits from various schemes and potentially awards for their contributions.
* **Action Required:** Attend the conference to receive scheme benefits and awards.
* **Fisheries Cooperatives**
* **Impact:** Will receive benefits from schemes (PM-MKSSY).
* **Action Required:** Attend the conference to receive scheme benefits.
* **Kisan Credit Card Beneficiaries**
* **Impact:** Will receive scheme benefits.
* **Action Required:** Attend the conference to receive scheme benefits.
* **Best FFPOs (Fisher Friend Producer Organizations) and Best Fisheries Start-ups (Jammu & Kashmir)**
* **Impact:** Will receive awards for their achievements.
* **Action Required:** Attend the conference to receive awards.
* **Policymakers**
* **Impact:** Will engage in dialogue, partnership development, and contribute to shaping future policies for cold water fisheries.
* **Action Required:** Participate in the conference to discuss sectoral advancement and align national and state priorities.
* **Experts**
* **Impact:** Will contribute to deliberations on research, innovation, technology adoption, and other key thematic areas.
* **Action Required:** Participate in the conference and technical sessions.
* **Researchers**
* **Impact:** Will engage in discussions on research and innovation, contributing to the development of the cold water fisheries sector.
* **Action Required:** Participate in the conference and technical sessions.
* **Stakeholders from various States (Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala)**
* **Impact:** Will explore collaborative pathways for sectoral advancement and share knowledge.
* **Action Required:** Attend the conference to engage in dialogue and contribute to collective strategies.
* **Government of India (Department of Fisheries)**
* **Impact:** Will release key guidelines and distribute benefits, demonstrating commitment to the sector's growth and sustainability.
* **Action Required:** Organize and conduct the conference, release guidelines, distribute benefits, and present awards.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): A scheme launched by the Government of India to strengthen the fisheries sector, including cold-water fisheries.
Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying: The primary government department organizing the National Conference and implementing fisheries policies.
National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries: The event organized to discuss and develop strategies for cold-water fisheries.
Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold-Water Fisheries: A document to be released and discussed at the conference, providing guidance for cold-water fisheries development.
National Vision for Cold Water Fisheries 2030: A government vision outlining goals for doubling cold water fish production and generating livelihoods by 2030.
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying
Department of Fisheries, Government of India
will organize first of its kind National Conference
on Cold water Fisheries in Srinagar
Hon’ble Union Minister FAHD Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh to
release the “Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold-
Water Fisheries”
Posted On: 14 MAR 2026 10:14AM by PIB Delhi
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries,Animal Husbandry And Dairying, Government of
India, is organizing the National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries at the Sher-e-Kashmir
International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir on 14th March 2026. The event
will be held under the guidance of Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Ministry of
Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAHD) and Panchayati Raj, in the august presence of Shri
Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir; Shri Omar Abdullah, Hon'ble Chief
Minister, Jammu and Kashmir; Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Hon’ble MoS, MoFAHD, GoI; Shri George
Kurian, Hon’ble MoS, MoFAHD, GoI; and Shri Javid Ahmad Dar, Hon’ble Minister, Agriculture
Production Department, Jammu & Kashmir. This will be a first-of-its-kind national dialogue on
sustainably harnessing the potential of India’s Cold-Water Fisheries for growth and prosperity.
India’s Cold Water fisheries form a unique and valuable segment of the country’s aquaculture landscape,
thriving predominantly in the high-altitude regions of the Himalayas, parts of the Northeast, and select
zones of the peninsular highlands. It is spread across Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh,Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and parts of the Western Ghats, North-east and peninsular
regions, collectively covering over 5.33 lakh sq. km of mountainous terrain. This vast geography is
enriched with pristine rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs, offering ideal ecological conditions for the
growth and diversification of Cold Water fish species. With more than 278 identified Cold Water fish
species, these ecosystems offer immense potential for livelihood generation, nutrition security, scientific
aquaculture and biodiversity conservation.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Department of Fisheries, Government
of India has undertaken major initiatives to strengthen the Cold-Water fisheries segment. A dedicated
investment of ₹2,299.56 crore has been sanctioned to Cold Water states to modernize infrastructure,
expand hatcheries, enhance seed and feed systems, develop raceway facilities, strengthen transport and
cold-chain networks, and support livelihood-oriented activities. These interventions are building the
foundation for a modern, technology-driven Cold Water aquaculture ecosystem in India.
During the Conference, Hon’ble Union Minister FAHD Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh will release the “Model
Guidelines for the Development of Cold Water Fisheries”, distribute scheme benefits to Traditional and
Progressive Cold-Water fishers, Fisheries Cooperatives under PM-MKSSY, and Kisan Credit Card
beneficiaries along with awards distribution to the Best FFPOs and Best Fisheries Start-ups from Jammu
& Kashmir. The Technical session will deliberate on key thematic areas including research and
innovation, technology adoption, infrastructure expansion, institutional convergence and entrepreneurship
development.
The event aims to bring together policymakers, experts, researchers and stakeholders from Jammu &
Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala to explore collaborative pathways for
sectoral advancement. By fostering knowledge exchange and aligning national and state priorities, the
Conference seeks to accelerate sustainable growth in the Cold Water fisheries sector.India’s premium Cold Water species such as Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Mahseer represent a high-
value segment with significant growth potential. Targeted policy interventions have enabled trout
production to grow nearly 1.8 times over the past decade. Yet India continues to import Salmon and
premium Trout underscoring the need to expand domestic capacity. To address this, the Government of
India has laid out the National Vision for Cold Water Fisheries 2030, which aims to double cold water
fish production (such as Trout and Mahseer) and generate livelihood opportunities.
In this context, the National Conference serves as a timely and strategic intervention, providing a vital
platform for dialogue, partnership and roadmap development to accelerate Cold Water fisheries, enhance
sustainable livelihoods and strengthen nutritional security in India’s hilly and remote regions.
Background –
Over the past decade, the Government of India has created a strong investment architecture to support
fisheries across the country, including the Cold-Water regions. Beginning with the Blue Revolution
scheme and followed by major national programs such as FIDF, PMMSY and PMMKSSY, an investment
of over ₹39,272 crore has been envisaged, of which projects worth ₹34,266 crore have already been
approved.
Under PMMSY, the Department of Fisheries has approved 5,600 raceways, 54 hatcheries, 5,600 trout
rearing units, 293 cold storages, 8,044 transport vehicles and 260 feed mills, these activities are directly
benefiting the Cold Water Fish farmers and have significantly improved production and distribution
networks across states. Along with these activities, Insurance support to 33.78 lakh fishermen and
livelihood and nutritional support to 23.51 lakh families have been provided ensuring social security and
resilience among mountain communities
Among the twelve Integrated Aqua Parks (IAP) approved nationally, four IAPs, namely Anantnag in
Kashmir, Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand, Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh and Mokokchung in Nagaland,
fall under Cold Water fisheries. Notably, the Aqua Parks provide state-of-the-art facilities support fisheries
development and ensure end to end connectivity throughout the value chain.
In addition, the Department of Fisheries, Government of India has notified Cold Water fisheries clusters
including Jammu and Kashmir with Anantnag as the leading district, Uttarakhand with Pithoragarh as the
leading district and Himachal Pradesh with Kullu as the leading district.In order to strengthen supply chain for inland and high-altitude aquaculture in the future, the Department
of Fisheries, GoI is also integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into India’s aquaculture logistics via Drone
technology. A pilot has been conducted which demonstrated that drone transport can reduce spoilage,
improve access to markets and significantly enhance farmer returns in remote and infrastructure deficient
areas where conventional transport is slow or unreliable.
***
JP
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