Source: PIB
Context:
The Government of India has launched the Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) 2025, marking the country’s first fully digital and geo-referenced enumeration of marine fishing communities, aimed at improving evidence-based planning and welfare delivery.
Conducting Agencies:
- Funding: Department of Fisheries, Government of India
- Implementation: ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)
- Operational Support: Fishery Survey of India (FSI)
Objectives:
- Create a real-time, comprehensive database of marine fisher households, crafts, gears, and infrastructure.
- Capture socio-economic indicators, including income, insurance, debt, and benefits from schemes like PMMSY and PM-MKSSY.
- Support sustainable fisheries management and policy interventions.
Key Features:
- Fully Digital & Paperless: Covers ~1.2 million households across 5,000 marine villages in 13 coastal states and UTs.
- Drone-Based Enumeration: Ensures accuracy in counting fishing crafts during trawl ban periods.
- VYAS App Ecosystem:
- VYAS–NAV: Validates fishing villages and harbours
- VYAS–BHARAT: Household and infrastructure enumeration
- VYAS–SUTRA: Real-time supervision and monitoring
- Geo-Referenced Data & Multilingual Interface: Ensures precision, inclusivity, and accountability.
- Real-Time Dashboards: Enable live tracking and data analytics for administrators.
