Lok Sabha Question No. 2977 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-10
Subject: Traditional Fisherfolk in Kerala
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri N K Premachandran

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2977 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  MARCH, 2026

## Traditional Fisher Folk in Kerala

## 2977. Shri N K Premachandran:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps to ensure livelihood of traditional fisherfolk in Kerala and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted any study regarding the difficulties of traditional fisher folk due to the hike in price of kerosene and lack of subsidy, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  considered  the  demand  of  traditional  fisher  folk  in  Kerala  for allocation of 51,000 kilolitre of kerosene, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to increase the allocation of kerosene from 11,640 kilolitre to 51,000 kilolitre so as to fill the gap between demand and supply, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the details of action taken by the Government on the request of State of Kerala to enhance the non-subsidized Public Distribution System (PDS) kerosene quota?

## ANSWER

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

- (a):  The  Department  of  Fisheries,  Government  of  India,  through  its  schemes,  policies  and programmes  has  taken  several  initiatives  for  the  holistic  development  of  the  fisheries  sector, including  strengthening  the  livelihoods  of  traditional  fisherfolk.  Under  the  flagship  scheme Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) implemented by the Department, during the last five years and the current year fisheries developmental projects amounting to ₹1,418.51 crore has been approved to Kerala.

The approved activities, inter alia, include various livelihood strengthening activities like support for deep sea fishing vessels (20 Nos), replacement boats and nets to traditional fishermen (200 Nos), installation of artificial reefs along the coast for stock rejuvenation (42 Nos), promotion of alternate/additional livelihood activities such as bivalve cultivation (1,140 Nos), biofloc units (780 Nos) and Re-Circulatory Aquaculture System (RAS) units (708 Nos), Ornamental fish rearing and breeding units (822 Nos), cages in reservoirs (493  Nos) as well as livelihood support to fishers during the fishing ban period (1,71,033 Nos). In addition, establishment of Integrated Modern Coastal Fishing Villages (09 Nos), Climate Resilient Coastal Villages (06 Nos), and extension support services including Matsya Seva Kendras (10 Nos) and Sagar Mitras (222 Nos) have also been approved to strengthen coastal fisheries and infrastructure in the State. For enhancing the shelf life of fishes and fetch more value, transport vehicles (468 Nos), fish kiosk (90 Nos), live fish vending centres (77 Nos), Value added enterprise units (10 Nos) has been also approved.

Government of Kerala has informed that through institutions such as Kerala Fishermen Welfare Fund Board and Matsyafed, several initiatives like provision of interest-free and subsidized loans for  fishing  inputs,  micro-finance  support  for  fishermen  self-help  groups,  education  loans  for children of fishermen, financial assistance to fisherwomen engaged in fish vending, and support for  procurement  of  fishing  crafts,  engines  and  gear  are  taken  up.  These  interventions  aim  to strengthen  income  security,  reduce  dependence  on  informal  credit  sources,  and  promote  selfemployment among fishing communities.

(b) to (e): The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) being the nodal Ministry on the subject matter has informed that as kerosene is a polluting fuel and adversely impacts public health, PDS Kerosene allocation to States/UTs including Kerala have been rationalized since 2010-11 and that till date 21 States/UTs have already become PDS kerosene free.

The Government of India has formulated a new 'PDS Kerosene Allocation Policy' for the period 2025-26 to 2027-28 after consultations with stakeholders including the Government of Kerala. Under this policy, allocation is made under a single category of 'PDS SKO' on a quarterly basis for cooking and lighting as well as for special needs. States/UTs have the flexibility to sub-allocate the  quantity  for  cooking  and  lighting  or  for  special  requirements  such  as  fisheries,  melas, exhibitions, pandemics or calamities based on their specific requirements. Distribution of PDS kerosene within the State under the PDS network and the scale and criteria of distribution to end beneficiaries are determined by the respective State/UT Governments.

The MoPNG has also informed that under the new policy the State of Kerala has been allocated 22,704 KL of PDS SKO for the year 2025-26 as against the total allocation of PDS SKO 4,368 KL (subsidized and non-subsidized) for 2024-25, reflecting an increase of 419.78% in allocation. The details  of  allocation  and  upliftment  during  2025-26  (up  to  the  third  quarter)  indicate  that against quarterly allocations of 5,676 KL, the State uplifted 924 KL in Q1, 5,580 KL in Q2 and 5,544 KL in Q3, with the remaining quantity lapsed in the respective quarters. Further, effective from 1 st March 2020, NIL under-recovery is maintained on a pan-India basis for the retail selling price of PDS kerosene.

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