Bhubaneswar: The Odisha cabinet on Wednesday approved a Deep Sea Fishing Mission (2026-2036), a flagship programme aimed at tapping the state’s vast offshore fishery resources and transforming Odisha into a major deep-sea fishing and marine exports hub over the next decade.Chief secretary Anu Garg said the Rs 2,295.45-crore mission seeks to promote sustainable deep-sea fishing, modernise marine fisheries infrastructure, boost seafood exports and improve the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities. It is also aligned with the Odisha Vision 2036, Viksit Bharat 2047 and the national Blue Economy framework.“The initiative would help build a modern, technology-driven and export-oriented marine fisheries sector while ensuring sustainable resource management and long-term livelihood security for Odisha’s coastal fishing communities,” she added.With a 575km-long coastline and a marine fisher population of over five lakh, Odisha remains heavily dependent on near-shore fishing, putting pressure on coastal fish stocks. The govt said scientific assessments have identified significant untapped offshore resources, including high-value species such as tuna, billfish and oceanic squid, which the mission aims to harness through modern technology and sustainable fishing practices.The programme envisages interventions across the entire marine fisheries value chain. These include induction of modern deep-sea fishing vessels, upgrading existing mechanised boats, deployment of mother vessels, modernisation of fishing harbours and fish landing centres, establishment of seafood parks, expansion of cold-chain logistics and creation of seafood processing and value-addition facilities.Officials said a dedicated Blue Economy Hub (B-Hub) will be set up as the mission’s knowledge, innovation and coordination centre. The initiative also proposes digital fisheries governance, vessel-monitoring systems, scientific stock assessments, traceability mechanisms, marine conservation measures, artificial reefs, sea ranching and ecosystem-based fisheries management.The govt expects the mission to generate an additional two lakh metric tonnes of marine fish production annually, create more than 50,000 jobs and raise Odisha’s marine exports to around Rs 5,000 crore a year by 2036. It is also expected to attract private investment and public-private partnerships in the fisheries sector.The mission will be implemented in phases through a combination of central and state govt funding, beneficiary participation, institutional finance and PPP models under the administrative control of the FARD department.
