NewzVille Desk
Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying George Kurian today launched the household enumeration phase of the National Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) 2025 at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi.
Launching the massive nationwide exercise, the Minister urged all officers and enumerators participating in the Census to ensure that all fishermen and fish workers are registered on the National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP).
“This is a mandatory requirement to access benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY). Only fishermen and fish farmers who are registered on the portal will be eligible to receive financial assistance from the Central government”, he said, adding that registration could be conveniently carried out through Common Service Centres (CSCs).
Describing the Marine Fisheries Census as a landmark in India’s march towards digital and data-driven fisheries governance, Shri Kurian said: “This edition marks a major technological shift as the first fully digitised data collection in the history of Indian fisheries”.
After the launch, live field data collection from Maharashtra and Kerala was displayed on the screen at the venue, showcasing the real-time digital data capture and central monitoring of the enumeration process using two specially designed mobile applications — VyAS Bharat and VyAS Sutra.
These were developed by CMFRI to enable real-time data collection, geo-referencing, and instant verification. These digital tools will ensure seamless data flow from the field to central servers, enhancing accuracy, transparency, and efficiency while reducing processing time.
The 45-day nationwide enumeration will be carried out from November 3 to December 18, with the participation of thousands of trained field staff, covering over 1.2 million fisher households across 4,000 marine fishing villages in nine coastal states and four union territories.
