Lok Sabha Question No. 3165 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-22
Subject: Deep Sea Fishing Project 2017
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Sajda Ahmed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3165 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND  MARCH, 2022

## Deep Sea Fishing Project 2017

## 3165.   SHRIMATI SAJDA AHMED

Will  the  Minister  of FISHERIES,  ANIMAL  HUSBANDRY  AND  DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the progress of the Deep Sea Fishing Project 2017;
- (b) whether the Government proposes for deep sea project for the fishermen of the Bay of Bengal with Bangladesh Border;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to resolve the dispute of Palk Bay to reduce the conflict of cross border fishing?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) to (c):   To promote Deep Sea fishing in Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the then Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare had introduced a sub-component namely 'Assistance for Deep Sea Fishing'on 9 th March, 2017 and another component  of  'Conversion  of  Trawlers  into  Resource  Specific  Deep-Sea  Fishing  Vessels'  on  27 th August, 2018 under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) on 'Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries'. These sub-components were introduced to provide financial assistance  to  traditional  fishermen  for  promoting  deep-sea  fishing  in  the  coastal  States  and  Union Territories(UTs)  including  States  and  UTs  along  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  The  Department  of  Fisheries, Government  of  India has released an amount  of Rs. 31209.51 lakh to States/UTs under the subcomponent, 'Assistance for Deep Sea Fishing' for procurement of 918 number of Deep Sea Fishing Vessels  and  an  amount  of  Rs.  427.50  lakh  under  the  subcomponent,  'Conversion  of  Trawlers  into Resource Specific Deep-Sea Fishing Vessels'of Blue Revolution Scheme for conversion of 57 trawlers into Deep Sea Fishing vessels.

Subsequently,  the  Department  of  Fisheries,  Ministry  of  Fisheries,  Animal  Husbandry  and Dairying, under its flagship scheme namely, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) being implemented with highest ever estimated investment of Rs. 20050 crore in fisheries sector for a period of 5 years with effect from the financial year 2020-21, has introduced the components namely, 'Support for acquisition of Deep-Sea Fishing vessels for traditional fishermen' and 'Up-gradation of existing fishing vessels for export competency' to provide financial assistance to traditional fishermen for promotion of deep-sea fishing in the coastal States and UTs including coastal States and UTs along the Bay of Bengal. The Department of Fisheries, Government of India has released to States/UTs, an amount of Rs.7756.00 lakh  under  the  subcomponent,  'Support  for  acquisition  of  Deep-Sea  Fishing  vessels  for  traditional fishermen' of PMMSY for procurement of 323 number of Deep Sea Fishing Vessels.

(d): A Joint Working Group (JWG) between India and Sri Lanka has been constituted to address the fishermen issues including the cross border fishing in Palk Bay region. Besides, an amount of Rs. 300 crore has been sanctioned and released to the Government of Tamil Nadu in financial year 2017-18 for providing 750 deep-sea fishing vessels to traditional fishers of Tamil Nadu especially in the Palk Bay area and construction of a fish landing centre at Kunthakal in Rameshwaram District of Tamil Nadu. In addition, financial assistance is provided under the PMMSY for activities like seaweed cultivation, cage culture  and  sea-ranching  in  order  to  reduce  fishing  pressure  in  the  Palk  Bay  area  and  to  reduce  the conflict of cross border fishing.

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