Kolkata: West Bengal exported 114,768.79 metric tonnes of marine products worth Rs 4,333.06 crore in the financial year 2024-25, registering a revenue increase of over 4 per cent compared to the previous fiscal.
In 2023-24, the state had earned Rs 4,147.97 crore through the export of 132,330.97 metric tonnes of seafood. Bengal accounts for 12 per cent of India’s seafood exports, with over 70 per cent comprising prawn varieties. These are extensively cultivated in North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore districts. Of the total prawn production, 80 to 85 per cent is exported, while the remaining 15 per cent is used for domestic consumption.
Shrimp makes up 70 percent of Bengal’s marine exports, followed by other prawn varieties, pomfret, octopus and various other sea fishes. Japan, the USA, China, the Middle East, the European Union (EU) and Southeast Asia are the major importers of marine products from Bengal and other coastal states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
According to the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), shrimp currently exported to the USA are cultivated in waterbodies. However, large-sized prawns caught at sea using nets cannot be exported to the USA, due to that country’s insistence on the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) to prevent the accidental capture of turtles.
Across India, 80 per cent of shrimp exports come from aquaculture (cultivated sources), while the remaining 20 per cent are wild-caught from the sea. The USA is not only among the top importers of Indian shrimp but also one of the highest-paying markets.
Coastal states, including Bengal, are working to open export channels for sea-caught prawns to improve livelihood opportunities for aquaculture farmers and fisherfolk.
An MPEDA official expressed optimism that if these restrictions are lifted, earnings from seafood exports could rise by at least 15 per cent.