Context:
The FAO’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2026 report ranks India as the “world’s second-largest aquatic animal producer” after China. India also leads globally in “inland capture fisheries” and ranks second in “aquaculture” production.
Explanation:
- Aquaculture means farming aquatic organisms under controlled conditions. It includes both aquatic animals such as fish, shrimp, crabs and molluscs, and aquatic plants such as algae and seaweeds.
- Capture fisheries involve harvesting naturally occurring wild aquatic animals, while aquaculture means farming aquatic organisms under controlled conditions.
- Capture fisheries are classified into marine capture (from seas/oceans) and inland capture (from rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands).
- India produced 9% of global aquatic animals in 2024, ranking second after China.
- India ranked first in inland water catches at 2.2 million tonnes and second in aquaculture with 12% of global farmed output.
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a UN specialised agency headquartered in Rome; SOFIA is its biennial flagship fisheries report.
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Aquaculture Growth and India’s Fisheries Leadership