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Mumbai: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday stressed India’s commitment towards self-reliance, sustainability and empowered cooperatives in the fisheries sector, highlighting the importance of decommissioning deep sea fishing vessels.
“This program of distribution of ‘deep sea fishing boats’ aims to fully utilize the potential of India’s fishery wealth in the times to come. The profits from the fishery industry should reach directly to the hard-working fishermen and poor families associated with cooperative societies – this is the main goal of this initiative. Over the next five years, we will create a system that will work for the fishermen like dairies, sugar mills and market committees for their economic prosperity. Reason,” he said.
The Home Minister was speaking on the occasion of the distribution of deep sea fishing vessels under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana at Mazgaon Dock in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Ports and Fisheries Minister Nitish Rane and other dignitaries. He said, “This scheme is set to bring a significant change in the lives of our sisters and brothers engaged in fishing for their livelihood along our 11,099 km long coastal belt. It will emerge as a very important scheme in the coming days.”
“This is not just the distribution of vessels, but it is the distribution of dignity, prosperity and self-reliance to our fishermen. For the first time in India, deep sea fishing vessels are owned and operated by fishermen cooperative societies and not by private companies. Co-operation in fisheries is the soul of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” Minister Shah said.
He said that in the next five years, about 200 trawler fishing boats would be produced for the fishing people, which would be operated through cooperative societies.
HM Shah further said, “Whether it is milk production, marketing, or fish farming, the benefit goes to the working person, the poor person living in rural areas and only when these poor people are economically prosperous, the country becomes truly prosperous. This is also the basic basis of the concept of cooperation.”
The Minister highlighted how these vessels will “empower” fishermen like never before, shifting from traditional near-shore fishing to deep sea fishing operations, increasing income by 3-4 times through access to premium catches. He emphasized that cooperatives are the backbone of this empowerment, transforming small fishermen groups into viable businesses. He underlined the commitment to “responsible resource management” to protect marine ecosystems in line with India’s blue economy goals.
He explained that sustainable practices would ensure long-term viability, prevent overfishing and boost exports. He called on states to replicate Maharashtra’s model while promising central support for infrastructure like cold chain and ports. He said that India will become the top global fish producer by 2030 by contributing to a developed India.
According to a government release, the deep sea fishing vessels are being provided to the beneficiaries at a unit cost of Rs 1.2 crore with financial support from the Government of Maharashtra, National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and the Department of Fisheries, Government of India. This is an important step towards modernizing India’s marine fisheries sector, enhancing deep sea fishing capacity and promoting cooperative-led development in coastal areas. It aims to explore fishery resources in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and high seas.
India’s marine fisheries sector traditionally operates on a modest scale, with fishermen relying on traditional vessels and techniques, typically venturing only to a depth of 40–60 nautical miles from the coastline. This limited operational range has constrained catch volumes and economic returns. This initiative will empower fishing cooperatives and FFPOs to sustainably exploit the vast potential of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and high seas, especially in areas like Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This is expected to open up new opportunities in high-value fisheries such as tuna, thereby increasing India’s seafood exports and strengthening coastal livelihoods, a government release said.
–IANS