G/SCM/Q2/IND/36  
 
27 October 2014  
(14-6205)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures  Original: English  
 
SUBSIDIES 
REPLIES TO QUESTIONS1 POSED BY NEW ZEALAND REGARDING THE 
NEW AND FULL NOTIFICATION OF INDIA2 
The following communication, dated 24 October 2014, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of India.  
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 Question 1  
Central programmes providing financial assist ance to export production for capture 
fisheries cover:  
 Installation of insulated/Refrigerated Fi sh Hold, Refrigerated Sea Water System 
(RSW) and Ice Making Machine on board mechanized fishing vessels. 
 Conversion of existing fishing vessels to Tuna long liners. 
 Constructing New Tuna Long Liners. 
With regard to these programmes, can India: 
  Identify the fisheries affected by the programme, by geographical area (e.g. 
territorial sea, EEZ, high seas), and the species affected by the programme, e.g. 
both target and by catch species) 
Reply 
 
Fisheries are largely confined to territorial sea and in some cases, Indian EEZ and for targeted 
species like Tuna.  
 
Question 2 
 Clarify the current status of the programm e, how long it is anticipated that the 
programme will be in place, and how the budget will change over the life of the 
programme? 
Reply 
These are currently ongoing programmes and are likely to continue subject to the required  
approval, including the financial approval, of the Government of India from time to time. 
 Central programmes providing for the induct ion of new technology, modernization or 
processing facilities and development of  infrastructure facilities covering 
12 programmes providing support for faciliti es and machinery for storing, preserving 
                                               
1 G/SCM/Q2/IND/31. 
2 G/SCM/N/253/IND. G/SCM/Q2/IND/36 
 
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  and transporting fish and marine products , including tuna, and including upgraded 
facilities, to meet HACCP/EU Regulations.  With regard to these programmes, can India: 
 
Question 3  
 Identify the fisheries affected by th e programme, by geographical area 
(e.g. territorial sea, EEZ, high seas), an d the species affected by the programme, 
e.g. both target and by catch species) 
Reply 
 
Fisheries are largely confined to territorial sea and in some cases, Indian EEZ and for targeted 
species like Tuna. 
 
Question 4  
 Clarify the current status of the programm e, how long it is anticipated that the 
programme will be in place, and how the budget will change over the life of the 
programme? 
Reply 
 
These are currently ongoing programmes and are likely to continue subject to the required approval, including the financial approval, of the Government of India from time to time. 
 
Sub-national Programmes generally aimed at protecting and securing the livelihood of 
traditional and poor fishing communi ties, with programmes covering: 
 
 Fuel subsidies. 
 Support for vessel construction and upgrade. 
 Financial support to fishermen, incl uding insurance and income support. 
 Infrastructure support. 
 Subsidies for gear, including safety equipment. 
Question 5 
 
Can India comment on the extent to which these programmes provide support for the reduction of over-capacity and overfishing. 
 
Reply 
 Indian fishery is basically a small scale enterprise like in most developing and tropical countries, 
considering the poor economic status of the fisher men and their difficulties to generate resources. 
Hence, the Government has been extending subsidies to some extent for improvement of livelihood/quality of life of these poor fish ermen. Subsidies under the Centrally Sponsored 
Schemes for development of marine fisheries are primarily aimed at improving socio-economic 
conditions of poor and traditional coastal fisherman by way of upgrading their skills with improved craft and gear and ensuring their safety at sea.  
 
Subsidies for marine fisheries sector are provided to upgrade fishing capacity for optimum utilization of available fishery resource rather than creating over capacity.  
Such subsidies are aimed at ensuring sustainable livelihood of resource poor and traditional 
fishermen enabling/encouraging them to decongest coastal waters by moving from near shore to deep sea for exploitation of hitherto unexploited  or underexploited fishery resources. There is G/SCM/Q2/IND/36 
 
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  absolutely no scheme which encourages increase in over capacity and over exploitation of 
resources leading to depletion of catches. Noneth eless, several steps have been taken by India 
towards conservation and management of fisheries resources.  
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