Export Performance of Indian Fisheries

Fisheries exports have registered a tremendous growth during the period 1987-2000, and the export basket of fisheries products has become reasonably diversified. Export of frozen fish recorded the highest annual growth but shrimps and prawns constituted the major category of exports, capturing an impressive 5 per cent of the world export market. Trade reforms of the 1990s seem to have further facilitated the export of fish and fish products from India and the feared import surge after the opening up of the economy is still not visible. Measures of relative competitive advantage reveal that India has become reasonably competitive in recent years but it must vigorously take up various sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, consistent with WTO guidelines, in order to give exports a further boost. However, there is a concern that these measures are being increasingly promulgated with the deliberate purpose of shielding domestic producers from international competition.