Winter months in Assam witness fish traders bringing plenty of local fish varieties to the markets for sale. With water levels in ponds and wetlands declining in the winter season, it is the ideal time for fish harvesting. As 90% of the state’s population consume fish, increasing demand comes with the challenge of overexploitation of fish stock to meet the shortfall. It also reminds the stakeholders in the fishery sector to boost production not just to meet the current shortfall but also to match the projected population increase in the coming decades. Addressing climate-induced challenges in the conservation of wetlands, rivers and other water bodies is critical for the sustainability of fishing as a livelihood. As traditional fishermen belong to economically weaker sections of society, protecting them from economic shocks such as income losses on account of riverbank erosion, flood damage to fish ponds, death of fish seeds, etc., due to extreme weather conditions like drought is crucial to prevent withdrawal of fishermen from this sector. Boosting fish production is not only essential to increase the household income of the traditional fishermen but also important to make the state self-reliant in meeting its growing demand. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing had made an important recommendation for enhancing the accidental insurance cover under the Group Accident Insurance Scheme from Rs. 5 lakh to at least Rs. 10 lakh so that the families of the deceased fishermen are able to sustain their lives with dignity and the financial security of their families is taken care of. The Committee further recommended that the procedure for claiming insurance should be simplified and measures should be taken to ensure that the insurance amount is disbursed to the claimants promptly with the least paperwork. The central government considering the recommendation to increase the insurance cover is good news, and an expeditious declaration in this regard will go a long way in boosting the confidence of traditional fishermen. Information provided to the parliamentary panel highlights that the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), which has completed its schematic period on March 31, 2025, is currently under evaluation, and increasing the accidental insurance cover shall be considered based on the outcomes of the evaluation. Another key recommendation made by the Committee which is important for the fishery sector in the state is the central government’s Department of Fisheries devising a scheme for traditional fishermen communities who reside alongside rivers and exploring the possibility of the development of their villages into climate-resilient fishermen villages in consultation with states and union territories. It is expected that the recommendation shall be actively considered for acceptance during the evaluation of PMMSY. Even though establishing Matsya Seva Kendras (MSKs) under PMMSY was envisaged as an important initiative aimed at strengthening the fisheries sector to make those function as single-window service centres to support fishers, fish farmers, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders in fisheries and aquaculture, not all districts have been covered under the initiative. The central government itself claimed that the establishment of such centres was a pivotal step in making India’s fisheries sector more organised, empowered, and sustainable, as these centres can greatly improve fishermen’s livelihoods by acting as knowledge and resource hubs. The recommendation by the Committee for the establishment of one MSK in each district is a pragmatic suggestion, especially for Assam, for the transformation of fish production from subsistence level to commercial scale. Even though the fish production in the state has substantially increased, there is little room for complacency as the demand-supply gap persists due to the rise in population and also the demand for fish rising in the neighbouring Northeastern states, a substantial percentage of which is met by supplies from Assam. Participation of youth in the fishery sector is vital to make it robust with fresh ideas of commercial innovation for developing new business models. The primary activity in the fishery sector remains limited to growing and harvesting fish and fish seeds and selling them to consumers, but the potential of food processing in the sector is yet to be fully unlocked, and the percentage of dry fish production is also limited to a few pockets in the state. Boosting fish seed production can unlock huge economic opportunities in the sector, but a persistent demand-supply gap in quality fish seed requiring the fishermen in the state to depend on supplies of fish seeds from outside is a critical gap which needs to be addressed urgently. Modernisation of fish marketing infrastructure has also become an urgent necessity to ensure that post-harvest losses can be reduced and the freshness of fishes is also retained for the end consumer. A large number of fish traders in Guwahati and other parts of the state selling fish along roadsides and in the unhygienic conditions of existing fish markets is reflective of fish marketing infrastructure not getting due importance along with measures to increase fish production.