Lok Sabha Question No. 1201 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-30
Subject: Challenges in Fishing
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri Vijayakumar Alias Vijay Vasanth

## MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1201 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 TH  JULY, 2024

Challenges in Fishing

## 1201. SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH:

## Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन ,

## पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a)  the measures taken by the Government to ensure sustainable fishing practices in waters;
- (b) the manner in which fishing quotas are determined and enforced to prevent overfishing and protect fish stocks;
- (c)    the  initiatives  that  are  in  place  to  promote  the  livelihoods  of  coastal  communities dependent on fishing;
- (d)    the  update  on  the  effectiveness  of  marine  protected  areas  in  conserving  fish populations;
- (e) the support being provided to fisheries-dependent industries to transition towards more sustainable practices;
- (f)   the plans for international cooperation on fisheries management, especially in shared waters;
- (g)  the manner in which the Government plan to balance conservation goals with the socio-economic needs of fishing communities; and
- (h) the steps taken by the Government taking to support and enhance the livelihoods of fishermen in Kanyakumari, particularly in light of recent challenges such as fluctuating fish stocks and economic pressures?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The Government of India has notified the 'National Policy on Marine Fisheries, 2017' (NPMF, 2017) to guide the responsible and sustainable fishing practices. Department of  Fisheries,  Government  of  India  (DoF,  GoI)  is  implementing  a  flagship  scheme namely 'Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana' (PMMSY) with an investment of Rs. 20050 crore for a period of 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25), which supports activities such as sea ranching and installation of artificial reefs across the coastline of country for enhancing the fish stocks. The Expert Committees constituted by the DoF, GoI from time to time are periodically revalidating the potential fishery resources in the Indian EEZ using the best scientific methods. The conservation and management measures implemented in  the  country  to  ensure  sustainable  fisheries  such  as  ban  on  paired bottom trawling or bull trawling and use of artificial LED lights in fishing, uniform ban on fishing in the Indian EEZ for a period of 61 days during monsoon and fish breeding season, demarcation of fishing zones for different categories of fishing vessels, gear and mesh-size restrictions, minimum legal size (MLS) of fish, Marine Protected Areas

(MPAs) and Marine Reserves, use of turtle excluding  devices  (TED),  protection  of endangered,  threatened  and  protected  (ETP)  species,  awareness  programs  to sensitize the fisherfolks about the sustainable practices and importance of resource conservation  etc.  Besides,  advisories  are  issued  from  time  to  time  to  coastal States/UTs for ensuring sustainable fishing practices.

- (b) In India, there is no provision of fishing quotas for the fishermen. However, sustainable fisheries in the maritime zones of India is ensured by way of implementation of laws, regulations and policies at national and state levels. As per the report of Marine Fish Stock Status  of  India  2022,  published  by  ICAR-Central  Marine  Fisheries  Research Institute (CMFRI), the marine fish stocks of the Indian waters are in good health and 91.1% of the 135 fish stocks evaluated in different regions during 2022 were found sustainable.
- (c) PMMSY provides financial assistance towards livelihood and nutritional support for socio-economically backward fishers during fishing ban/lean period. Besides, mariculture activities such as open-sea cage-culture, seaweed cultivation, bivalve or mussel farming are taken up to provide additional livelihood for fishers and coastal communities. Under the PMMSY, financial assistance is also provided for boats (as replacement) and nets for traditional fishermen, support for acquisition of deep-sea fishing  vessels  and  up  gradation  of existing  fishing  vessels  for  export  competency, communication and tracking devices, and safety kits to ensure safety of fishermen while at sea. To facilitate smooth fishing operations and improve the value realization to  fishers,  financial  support  is  provided  under  PMMSY  for  development of fisheries infrastructure such as fishing harbours and fish landing centers, post-harvest and cold chain  facilities,  fish  transport  units,  fish  markets,  processing  and  value  added enterprise units etc.
- (d) In  order  to  conserve  marine  species,  Government  of  India  has  notified 130  Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across the Coastal States and Islands; in addition, 106 coastal and marine sites have been identified and prioritized as Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas (ICMBAs) for effective conservation of marine species including fish populations.
- (e) The PMMSY is being implemented in all states/UTs with a vision of ecologically healthy, economically  viable  and  socially  inclusive  fisheries  sector  that  contributes  towards economic prosperity and well-being of fishers in a sustainable and responsible manner. The  activities  implemented  under  the  PMMSY  to  support  fishers  and  fisheriesdependent industries to transition towards more sustainable practices are furnished under parts (a) to (c) of this reply.
- (f)  India actively participates in various International forums and conventions related to marine  fisheries,  such  as  the  United  Nations  Convention  on  the  Law  of  the  Sea (UNCLOS), United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA)  relating to the Conservation  and  Management  of  Straddling  and  Highly  Migratory  Fish  Stocks, Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas  beyond  National  Jurisdiction  (BBNJ  Agreement),  and  the  Convention  on Biological  Diversity  (CBD).  India  is  a  member  of  Regional  Fisheries  Management Organizations (RFMOs) and actively participate in sustainable management of regional fisheries. Besides, India is a founding member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) with fisheries management as one of the priority area. India has been engaged in several bilateral and multilateral agreements to manage shared fisheries resources.
- (g) The overarching goal of the NPMF, 2017 is to ensure the health and ecological integrity of  the  marine  living  resources  of  India's  Exclusive  Economic  Zone  (EEZ)  through sustainable harvests for the benefit of present and future generations of the nation.
- (h) Based on the project proposals received from State Government, the DoF, GoI has accorded administrative approvals under PMMSY for the projects of total cost of Rs. 934.23 crore with central share of Rs.376.91 crore to the Government of Tamil Nadu to enhance  the  livelihoods  of  fishermen  in  Tamil  Nadu  including  in  the  Kanyakumari District. The steps taken by the Government to support and enhance the livelihoods of fishermen in Kanyakumari, inter alia include relief assistance during the lean period and fishing  ban  period,  providing  tax  exemption  on diesel and  subsidized  rate  industrial kerosene to the fishing boats by the State Government, and assistance to procure FRP boats and deep-sea fishing boats, out board engines, fishing nets, Ice boxes etc. under PMMSY and state schemes.

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