New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Thursday met Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Ranjan Singh, and discussed opportunities to boost fisheries exports.

They also discussed means to enhance the incomes of fisherfolk of the country, Goyal said in a social media post after co-chairing a meeting with the Fisheries minister.

"We also reiterated our continued commitment to fostering sustainable growth & driving innovation in the sector," Goyal added.

India’s seafood exports have recorded robust growth, driven largely by strong performance in non‑US markets, Singh had said earlier. He had emphasised the need for sustained market and product diversification and strict regulatory compliance, including adherence to antibiotic bans and strengthened traceability systems.

India’s seafood exports surged to a record Rs 72,325.82 crore in FY26, with volumes reaching 19.32 lakh metric tonnes, according to provisional data released by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) recently.

Frozen shrimp remained the primary growth driver, contributing Rs 47,973.13 crore, accounting for over two-thirds of total export earnings.

Shipments of shrimp grew 4.6 per cent in volume and 6.35 per cent in value, reinforcing its dominance in India’s marine products export basket, according to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

According to an official statement, the US retained its position as the largest export destination, with imports totalling $2.32 billion. However, shipments to the US declined by 19.8 per cent in volume and 14.5 per cent in value, reflecting primarily the impact of reciprocal tariffs.

This decline was offset by robust growth in alternative markets such as China, EU and Southeast Asian countries.

Exports to China, the second-largest destination, rose 22.7 per cent in value and 20.1 per cent in volume.

—IANS

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