Extracted Data Points

Sector Overview

  • Cold-water fisheries practiced in high-altitude snow-fed rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs with temperatures between 5°C and 25°C
  • Dissolved oxygen above 6 mg/L and pH levels between 6.5 and 8.0
  • Species cultivated: rainbow trout, golden mahseer, snow trout
  • Specialized infrastructure includes hatcheries, raceways, RAS, biofloc systems, and cold chain facilities
  • Trout farming practiced above 1,500 metres altitude, mahseer culture at relatively lower elevations
  • Covers over 5.33 lakh sq. km of mountainous terrain across multiple states
  • India has identified over 278 cold-water fish species

Production Statistics

  • India's total fish production: 197.75 lakh tonnes during 2024–25
  • Cold-water fisheries contribution: nearly 3% of inland fish production
  • National cold-water fish production: 7,000 metric tonnes
  • Trout production: increased 1.8 times over last decade to 6,000 metric tonnes in 2024–25

Regional Production Data (2025-26 unless specified)

  • Jammu & Kashmir: 3,010 MT trout production, supported by Kokernag hatchery and over 2,000 private trout units
  • Himachal Pradesh: 1,673 MT trout production, 909 trout farmers, 1,739 trout farming units
  • Uttarakhand: 710 MT trout production, total fish production of 10,486 MT during 2024–25, nearly 2,500 raceways
  • Ladakh: crossed 50 MT production with 120 raceways and four hatcheries

Livelihood and Employment

  • 23.51 lakh families received livelihood support across cold-water states
  • 33.78 lakh fishers covered under insurance schemes
  • Jammu & Kashmir alone has over 31,000 registered fishers and fish farmers

Investment and Infrastructure

  • Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) 2020–26: ₹21,963.48 crore approved nationally
  • ₹5,638.76 crore sanctioned specifically for cold-water states under PMMSY
  • Infrastructure created: 5,663 raceways, 54 trout hatcheries, 13 large RAS units, 16 medium RAS units, 36 small RAS units
  • Nearly 4,600 ponds in Himalayan and North Eastern regions
  • 293 cold storages, 8,366 transport vehicles

State-specific Investments

  • Uttarakhand: ₹317.25 crore
  • Himachal Pradesh: ₹155.48 crore
  • Jammu & Kashmir: ₹149.73 crore
  • Ladakh: ₹33.49 crore

Additional Funding Schemes

  • Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF): ₹7,761.78 crore approved during 2018–26
  • PM-MKSSY scheme: ₹6,000 crore outlay for fisheries, aquaculture insurance, and performance grants

Infrastructure Development

  • Integrated Aqua Parks established at: Anantnag (UT of J&K), Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand), Ziro (Arunachal Pradesh), Mokokchung (Nagaland)
  • Four Cold Water Fisheries Clusters notified at: Anantnag (J&K), Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand), Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), Kargil (UT of Ladakh)

Regional Achievements

  • Jammu & Kashmir: Increased trout production from 298 MT in 2015–16 to 3,010 MT in 2025–26
  • Uttarakhand: Doubled fish production to 10,486 MT, fisheries branding under "UttaraFish"
  • Ladakh: Local trout seed production reaching 30,000 seed in Drass and 80,000 seed in Chochut

Policy Initiatives

  • Model Guidelines for Cold Water Fisheries Development, 2026 issued
  • Extension of Kisan Credit Card facilities to fishers
  • International collaborations with Norway and Iceland for knowledge exchange