Kochi, April 12 : Preparations are gaining momentum for the 5th National Marine Fisheries Census (MFC 2025), scheduled to be conducted in November and December this year. The census is expected to cover around 1.2 million fisher households across India's coastal states and union territories.

Funded and coordinated by the Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the exercise is part of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

The ICAR -- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) will serve as the nodal agency for implementing the census across nine coastal states, while the Fishery Survey of India (FSI) will handle data collection in the union territories, including the islands.

The census aims to collect comprehensive demographic and livelihood data of marine fishing communities, as well as infrastructure details such as fishing vessels, gear, harbours, fish landing centres, processing units, and cold storage facilities.

Neetu Kumari Prasad, Joint Secretary in the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, recently reviewed the progress, prerequisites, and timeline of the census. The meeting highlighted the need for close coordination between state governments and implementing agencies to ensure its success.

State fisheries departments have extended their full support to the initiative, committing to assistance in areas such as finalising village lists and providing manpower and logistical resources.

Prasad noted that MFC 2025 would mark a paradigm shift in data collection, with the use of advanced digital tools such as mobile-based applications, geo-tagging, and real-time data validation.

She said the census would be crucial for evidence-based governance, livelihood planning, and sustainable marine resource management.

Dr Grinson George, Director of CMFRI and National Coordinator of MFC 2025, said the census would generate critical data to inform policy-making in marine fisheries management, welfare schemes, and infrastructure development -- directly impacting millions dependent on the marine sector.

The meeting also discussed the deployment strategy and customised data collection schedules. Local enumerators from marine fishing villages will be engaged in the exercise, supported and supervised by regional, state, and district-level coordinators.

/IANS