India hosts first National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries in Srinagar

Key facts

• Department of Fisheries, Government of India, organised the National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries at Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre, Srinagar on 14 March 2026.
• Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh guided the conference.
• Participants included Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying SP Singh Baghel, George Kurian, and Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Production Minister Javid Ahmad Dar.
• Cold-water fisheries in India cover over 5.33 lakh sq km across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
• Government has sanctioned Rs 2,299.56 crore under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for cold-water states to strengthen hatcheries, seed and feed systems, raceway facilities, cold chain and transport networks.
• Union Minister released model guidelines for cold-water fisheries development and distributed scheme benefits to fishers, cooperatives and Kisan Credit Card beneficiaries.
• National Vision for Cold Water Fisheries 2030 aims to double trout and mahseer production and generate livelihoods in hilly regions.
• Under PMMSY, 5,600 raceways, 54 hatcheries, 5,600 trout rearing units, 293 cold storages, 8,044 transport vehicles and 260 feed mills have been approved.