India-Israel Expand Cooperation in Fisheries and Aquaculture
- 16 Jan 2026
On 14th January 2026, India and Israel signed a Joint Ministerial Declaration of Intent to expand bilateral collaboration in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, marking a significant deepening of cooperation between the two strategic partners.
- The declaration was signed during the visit of Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh to Israel (January 13–15), where he participated in the second global summit on “Blue Food Security: Sea the Future 2026” in Eilat.
Key Points:
- Shared Vision: The declaration recognises fisheries and aquaculture as critical for food security, livelihoods and economic growth, combining Israel’s advanced technologies with India’s vast aquatic resources.
- Advanced Aquaculture Technologies: Cooperation will include joint R&D in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), biofloc, cage culture, aquaponics, aquarium systems and oceanariums.
- Breeding & Genetic Improvement: Focus areas include high-yield species breeding, pathogen-free seed development, broodstock management, genetic improvement programmes, mariculture and seaweed cultivation.
- Water Management: Collaboration will leverage Israeli water-saving technologies for efficient and sustainable aquaculture and fisheries operations.
- Blue Economy & Start-ups: The declaration places strong emphasis on promoting start-ups, innovation and entrepreneurship in fisheries and aquaculture, aligned with the broader Blue Economy vision.
- Sustainable Fishing Practices: Both sides committed to responsible and sustainable fishing to conserve marine resources, reduce environmental impact and enhance long-term resilience.
- Technology & Data Systems: Joint work on technology-driven fisheries monitoring, data collection, transparency and traceability systems to support evidence-based management.
- Capacity Building: Cooperation will extend to deep-sea fishing, vessel design, coastal aquaculture, marine conservation, modern fish processing, marketing, and infrastructure such as fishing harbours and landing centres.
- Trade & Market Access: Dialogue to strengthen bilateral trade by addressing tariff and non-tariff barriers and promoting technology-enabled traceability in exports and imports.
