Fifth marine fisheries census and aquaculture insurance scheme introduced in the country
The 5th Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) has begun in the country on April 28, 2025. The census will document every marine fisher family, village, fishing craft and gear, as well as infrastructural facilities associated with fishing harbours and fish landing centers across the country.
The census will conduct real-time validation through a geo-referenced, app-based digital system that can record pictures of fishing villages based on primary and secondary sources, for the first time. For this, a mobile application called ‘VyAS-NAV’ has been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI), which is the nodal agency for implementing the census to record data.
The Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying announced the beginning of the census and launched the application at the Coastal State Fisheries Meet 2025 held on April 28.
The Centre has also introduced the first-ever aquaculture insurance scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), a sub-scheme launched under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). It aims towards mitigating risks and providing financial security to marginalised fish farmers and will include registered aquafarmers, firms, companies, societies, cooperatives, fish farmer-producer organisations and other entities involved in the fisheries value chain (Down To Earth).
Kerala drafts its first ever comprehensive urban policy to tackle climate change and urbanisation
The Kerala Urban Policy Commission has submitted the state’s first-ever comprehensive urban policy to prepare the state for rapid urbanisation and climate change. The policy focuses on urban planning, climate resilience, and financing under the scenario where 80 percent of the state’s population would be urban by 2050.
Kerala has been identified as one of the most vulnerable states to climate risk due to its geographic location, population density and susceptibility to extreme weather events.
The Commission, composed of 10 experts and two municipal representatives, has given several recommendations to empower urban local bodies (ULBs) with financial and human resources, better data, and by incorporating risk factors in the urban planning process and mobilising finances.
The Commission drew up on studies it commissioned and stakeholder consultations to prepare the policy. Population projections were made by using 2011 Census data and real-time satellite images to understand the nature of Kerala’s urbanisation (Mongabay, India).
Guidelines for setting up Bio Resource Centres to aid natural farming released
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has come up with guidelines for setting up of bio-input resource centers (BRC) under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF). The NMNF was launched on November 25, 2024 to promote natural farming through a dedicated initiative and reduce farmers’ dependence on chemical inputs.
However, farmers have to deal with various challenges like non-availability of quality inputs, lack of knowledge and a lack of market support to get fair and remunerative prices, while transitioning to natural farming.
BRCs are cluster-level enterprises that help support local production, availability and supply of ready-to-use bio-inputs for natural farming to farmers who may not be able to produce them individually. They also serve as centers to disseminate knowledge and experience related to natural farming to farmers. While financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh will be provided as support to set up each center, experts and stakeholders think that this amount may be inadequate in setting up and running a BRC (Down To Earth).
Slope direction can affect tree cover, finds new research
New research has found that the direction of a slope, whether facing north, south, east, or west, has a significant impact on the tree cover at a local scale.
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, analysed tree cover and canopy height in 25 protected areas in the Western Ghats using satellite imagery and digital elevation models. The study found that tree cover and canopy height were the highest in northwest-facing (NW) slopes and the lowest in southeast-facing (SE) slopes across all protected areas.
Slope direction effects continue to be less understood in low-latitude regions that are closer to the equator, such as the Western Ghats. The study concluded that it is crucial to consider slope aspect when planning biodiversity conservation and afforestation in the Western Ghats (The Scroll).
Fish trade is introducing invasive species affecting local aquatic ecology in Indian waters
Ornamental fish trade is introducing invasive species in India's freshwater ecosystems threatening biodiversity. India ranks 19th among the world’s ornamental fish exporting nations and zebra danio and dwarf gourami fish besides many others from the Western Ghats and Northeast India are widely traded from the country.
Many of the owners who buy exotic fish species from markets find it cumbersome to look after them in a while and they are released into local rivers or wetlands in the vicinity where they soon get naturalised in their new habitats and become invasive. Some examples of invasive fish include Mozambique tilapia and mosquito fish.
Invasive species are very adaptive and influence local freshwater fish diversity in major ways and pose a threat to freshwater ecosystems in the long run. Globally binding conventions and development of guidelines and protocols for regulating international trade in ornamental freshwater fishes are thus urgently needed. (The Scroll).
This is a roundup of news updates from the April 16, 2025 to April 30, 2025. Read our policy updates here