Goa fish production peaks in 2023, number slips through net in 2024

Margao: Goa’s fish production peaked at 140.3 tonnes in 2022-23, marking the highest output in eight years, before dropping to 135.7 tonnes in 2023-24.The latest data released by the Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation in the ‘EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics’ report shows that the fishing sector weathered significant challenges over the past decade.From 111.9 tonnes in 2015-16, fish production showed steady growth, peaking at 124 tonnes in 2017-18. However, the industry faced challenges in the subsequent years, declining to 120 tonnes in 2018-19.The worst time for this sector came during 2019-20, when production plummeted to 105 tonnes, the lowest point in the data series, representing a 15.3% drop. The downturn continued into 2020-21, though production recovered to 111 tonnes.The recovery gained momentum in 2021-22 with production reaching 116.2 tonnes, followed by a significant surge to 140.3 tonnes in 2022-23, representing a 21% increase and the highest production levels since data collection began.The decline to 135.7 tonnes in 2023-24, industry watchers said, is a cause for concern, but recovery is definitely possible. The consistent performance above 135 tonnes in recent years showed resilience in the sector, they said.

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