New Delhi, Mar 13: The Department of Fisheries, Government of India, will organise a first-of-its-kind National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, on March 14, 2026.
The conference will be held under the guidance of Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Minister of State Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State George Kurian, and Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Production Minister Javid Ahmad Dar.
The event is being described as the first national-level dialogue aimed at sustainably harnessing the potential of India’s cold-water fisheries for economic growth and livelihood generation.
During the conference, the Union Minister will release the “Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold Water Fisheries.” Scheme benefits will also be distributed to traditional and progressive cold-water fishers, fisheries cooperatives under PM-MKSSY, and Kisan Credit Card beneficiaries. Awards will also be presented to the best Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs) and fisheries start-ups from Jammu and Kashmir.
Cold-water fisheries form an important segment of India’s aquaculture sector, particularly in high-altitude regions of the Himalayas, the Northeast and certain peninsular areas. The sector spans across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and parts of the Western Ghats and northeastern states, covering more than 5.33 lakh square kilometres of mountainous terrain.
These regions contain numerous rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs that provide ideal ecological conditions for cold-water fish species. According to officials, more than 278 cold-water fish species have been identified in these ecosystems, offering significant potential for livelihood generation, nutrition security and biodiversity conservation.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Government of India has sanctioned an investment of ₹2,299.56 crore for cold-water states to strengthen infrastructure, expand hatcheries, develop raceway facilities, improve seed and feed systems, and enhance transport and cold-chain networks.
The conference will also include technical sessions focusing on research and innovation, technology adoption, infrastructure expansion, institutional convergence and entrepreneurship development in the fisheries sector.
Participants will include policymakers, experts, researchers and stakeholders from several states and Union Territories including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.
Officials said the conference will facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration between the Centre and states to accelerate sustainable growth in the cold-water fisheries sector.
Premium cold-water fish species such as Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Mahseer represent a high-value segment with strong growth potential. Trout production in India has grown nearly 1.8 times over the past decade, though the country still imports salmon and premium trout, highlighting the need to expand domestic capacity.
To address this, the Government of India has outlined the National Vision for Cold Water Fisheries 2030, which aims to double production of cold-water fish species and create more livelihood opportunities in mountainous regions.
Officials said the conference will provide a platform to develop strategies for expanding the sector, strengthening sustainable livelihoods and improving nutritional security in India’s hilly and remote areas.
Over the past decade, the Government of India has invested heavily in fisheries development through initiatives such as the Blue Revolution, Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), PMMSY and PMMKSSY, with an overall investment outlay of more than ₹39,272 crore, of which projects worth ₹34,266 crore have already been approved.
Under PMMSY alone, approvals include 5,600 raceways, 54 hatcheries, 5,600 trout rearing units, 293 cold storages, 8,044 transport vehicles and 260 feed mills, aimed at strengthening production and distribution networks in cold-water regions.
Among the 12 Integrated Aqua Parks approved nationwide, four are located in cold-water regions — Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir), Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand), Ziro (Arunachal Pradesh) and Mokokchung (Nagaland) — providing modern facilities and end-to-end support for fisheries development.
The Department of Fisheries has also identified cold-water fisheries clusters in several states, including Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir, Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, to strengthen sectoral development.
In addition, the department is exploring the use of drone technology to improve aquaculture logistics in remote and high-altitude areas. Pilot projects have shown that drone-based transport can reduce spoilage, improve market access and increase returns for fish farmers in regions where conventional transport is difficult.
