Lok Sabha Question No. 353 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-04
Subject: Traditional Fishing Communities
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Adv. Adoor Prakash

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 353 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 th  FEBRUARY, 2025

## Traditional Fishing Communities

## 353. Adv. Adoor Prakash:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING  be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that the traditional fishing communities are severely being affected by the impacts of the climate crisis;

(b) if so, whether the Government has proposed any action plan to address the adverse impact of climate change especially job loss of traditional fishermen;

(c) whether the Government will consider to implement a job guarantee scheme to ensure minimum employment days for traditional fishermen in a year and if so, the details thereof, and

(d) the details of budgetary allocation for traditional small fishing communities during the last five years?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

(a) to (c): The Department of Fisheries, Government of India has not received any report   on the impacts of the climate crisis on traditional fishing communities and their job loss. The Department of Fisheries, Government of India under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY),  has  identified  100  coastal  fishermen  villages  situated  close  to  the coastline  as  Climate  Resilient  Coastal  Fishermen  Villages  (CRCFV)  to  enhance  the economic  resilience  of  coastal  communities  impacted  by  climate  change.  The  program promotes climate-resilient fisheries through initiatives such as seaweed cultivation, artificial reefs,  sea  ranching  and  the  promotion  of  green  fuel.  Safety  and  security  measures  for fishermen and fishing vessels, economic activities like ornamental fisheries, and support programs like insurance, livelihood and nutritional support, Kisan Credit Cards (KCC), and training also supported. The activities in the identified coastal fishermen villages are needbased facilities, including common facilities like fish drying yards, fish processing centers, fish  markets,  fishing  jetties,  ice  plants,  cold  storage,  and  emergency  rescue  facilities.  In addition, the fisheries research institutes under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research  (ICAR),  Government  of  India  have  been  conducting  research  regularly  to understand the interactions between climatic parameters and fisheries to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Further, ICAR-Fisheries Research Institutes has been contributing to enhance aquaculture through  ongoing  research,  technology  development,  and  capacity-building  initiatives  in marine as well as inland aquaculture funded by the Government of India.

The Department of Fisheries, Government of India has provided livelihood and nutritional support to an average of six lakh fishermen families annually during annual fishing ban/lean period (both marine and inland fishing ban).

(d):  The  Department  of  Fisheries,  Ministry  of  Fisheries,  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying during the last four financial years (FY 2020-21 to FY2023-24) and current financial year (2024-25), under the PMMSY, has accorded approvals to the proposals worth Rs. 4969.62 crore with a central share of Rs. 1823.58 crore for development of small fishing communities, traditional fishers and other stakeholders including livelihood support.

*****