Centre Pushes Northeast Fisheries Economy, Announces Rs 50-Crore Mizoram Fish Hub

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Monday announced a series of initiatives for the Northeast’s fisheries, dairy and livestock sectors, including approval for a Rs 50-crore fish marketing centre in Mizoram , as the Centre pushed its vision of deeper economic integration of the region through rural industries.

Chairing a regional review meeting attended by ministers and officials from all eight northeastern states, Singh said fisheries and animal husbandry could become major drivers of employment and income generation in the region. He highlighted schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana , Blue Revolution and Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund, claiming fish production in the Northeast had risen from 3.78 lakh tonnes in 2014 to 7.05 lakh tonnes in 2025 .

The Centre also announced that four of the proposed integrated Aquaparks in India would be set up in the Northeast, while investments worth Rs 200-300 crore are being planned under Mission Amrit Sarovar.

The announcements reflect New Delhi’s broader attempt to integrate the Northeast economically by promoting food processing, fisheries exports, dairy networks and local entrepreneurship in a region long marked by infrastructure gaps and limited industrial growth.

Officials said the Northeast holds significant potential in ornamental fisheries, inland fisheries and coldwater fish farming , sectors that could support processing industries and create rural jobs if backed by cold-chain infrastructure and market access.

However, questions remain over whether such schemes effectively reach small farmers and fish workers , many of whom continue to struggle with poor connectivity, delayed fund disbursal and lack of storage facilities. State representatives at the meeting flagged concerns over training, digital access and infrastructure bottlenecks, underlining the gap between policy announcements and on-ground implementation.