National Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) 2025
Context:
The Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying officially launched the household enumeration phase of the National Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) 2025 in Kochi.
This is the fifth edition of the census.
The 45-day nationwide exercise will cover over 1.2 million fisher households across 4,000-5,000 marine fishing villages in 13 coastal states and UTs.
About National Marine Fisheries Census:
A coast-wide activity fully funded by the Department of Fisheries
Nodal agency: ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)
Slogan: ‘Smart Census, Smarter Fisheries’
Key Highlights of MFC 2025:
The MFC 2025 marks a major technological shift as the first fully digitised data collection in Indian fisheries history, moving entirely from paper-based methods
It uses a suite of custom-made, multilingual Android applications:
VyAS-BHARAT (household enumeration)
VyAS-SUTRA (real-time supervision)
These tools enable real-time, geo-referenced data collection
This enhances accuracy, transparency, and efficiency
For the first time, the enumeration will capture granular data on crucial indicators(like total family income, homeownership, outstanding liabilities, and sources of credit)
It will also gather data on insurance status, major losses, the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and benefits received from schemes like PMMSY/PM-MKSSY
Linkage with Government Benefits:
The Minister urged all fishers to register on the National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP)
Registration is a mandatory requirement to access financial assistance and benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)
Coordinating Agencies:
The census is coordinated by the Department of Fisheries (DoF) under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)
ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is the nodal agency
Fishery Survey of India (FSI) is the operational partner