New Delhi: The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with an outlay of Rs. 20,050 crore aims to undertake the holistic development of India’s fisheries sector, said the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha. PMMSY also entails the fisher community’s welfare, according to an official statement by the Fisheries department, under the Ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying. PMMSY was implemented in FY21.
The scheme also provisions for the welfare of small-scale traditional fishermen by protecting their interests through social, physical and economic security. These communities are empowered to carry out traditional fishing. They are also encouraged to continue carrying out fisheries related allied activities, according to an official statement.
The PMMSY scheme enables these activities through asset creation in the form of acquiring nets and boats. Fishermen are also ecnnocuraged to acquire devices to enable communication and tracking. PMMSY also provides for the supply of sea-safety kits. Fishers are also insured under this scheme apart from receiving support in the acquisition of deep-sea fishing vessels.
PMMSY encourages activities such as seaweed culture, and bivalve culture. Ornamental fisheries as well as open sea cage culture are also patronised under this scheme. Fishers can also access new fish culture technologies under this scheme. These technologies include:
| S. No. | New fish culture technologies |
| 1 | Re-Circulatory Aquaculture System |
| 2 | Biofloc system |
| 3 | Training & skill development |
| 4 | Support in construction of cold-chain chain infrastructure |
| 5 | Support for marketing facilities. |
The fisher community is also entitled to support during lean fishing months or fishing bans under PMMSY. Programmes for the development of small fishing communities as well as traditional fishers apart from other stakeholders received from the department of fisheries for projects to the tune of Rs 4,969.62 crore, with a central component of Rs 1,823.58 crore during FY21 to FY24.
Climate relience
The department of fisheries has also undertaken activities to promote climate resilience in aquaculture, in the form of sea ranching and other sallied practices, apart from the promotion of integrated fish farming with a minimum environmental footprint. Around 480 deep sea vessels worth Rs 769.64 crore were sanctioned.
The Department of Fisheries also approved the setting up 2,195 FFPOs worth Rs.544.85 crore under PMMSY. The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) facility was extended to fishers from 2018-19 to finance working capital requirements. Nearly 2.54 lakh KCCs and funds worth Rs.2,121.29 crore have been issued so far.
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