How govt is transforming country's blue economy- An India Tracker explainer

By: Anshul Vipat

With a budget of Rs 20,050 crores for a period of five years, PMMSY aims to achieve fish production of 22 million metric tons (MMT) from the current 13.76 MMT by 2024-25 and to create additional employment opportunities for about 55 lakh people.

India, which hosts 7,000 km long coastline and boosts abundance of aquaculture is gradually aiming at transforming the fisheries sector and bring about sustainable fisheries and aquaculture revolution through Blue Revolution. In 2020, the prime minister launched the launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), a flagship scheme for focused and sustainable development of the fisheries sector in the country as a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

With a budget of Rs 20,050 crores for a period of five years, PMMSY aims to achieve fish production of 22 million metric tons (MMT) from the current 13.76 MMT by 2024-25 and to create additional employment opportunities for about 55 lakh people. On the occasion of World Fisheries Day, India Tracker takes a look at progress made under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

PMMSY has been approved at the total estimated investment of Rs.20,050 crores comprising of central share of Rs.9,407 crores, state share of Rs.4,880 crores and beneficiaries contribution of Rs.5,763 crores. It aims to focus on employment generation activities such as seaweed and ornamental fish cultivation. It also aims to address critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernisation and strengthening of the value chain and establishing a robust fisheries management framework and fishers’ welfare.

The table below shows the significant achievements made under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

The achievements made under the PMMSY shows that the Department of Fisheries is not only focusing on increasing the fish production in the country but also on other important activities related to fishing. One of the most important aspect of the scheme is the focus on seaweed cultivation. Under the PMMSY, an investment of Rs 640 crores has been envisaged for revolutionizing the seaweed sector with an increase in the seaweed production in the country. Sea weed is a large and diverse group of marine macro algae that can be found in shallow coastal regions around the world. Sea weed can be also used as a bio-fuel and in manufacturing of industrial chemicals. Apart from improvement in seaweed cultivation, the scheme has also proved beneficial for improvement in the fishing infrastructure.

The chart below shows the funds released to the states under the PMMSY from 2020-2022.

Source: Ministry Of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying

Andhra Pradesh has the highest total project cost under the PMMSY at Rs 77,436 lakhs followed by Uttar Pradesh at Rs 59,413 lakhs. Andhra Pradesh has also received the highest funds by the central government under the PMMSY. The state has received a sum of Rs 18,659 lakhs from 2020-2022. Sikkim and Punjab have received lowest funds under the scheme. The total project cost in Punjab is Rs 5,984 lakhs and the share of central government is Rs 2,064 lakhs. Out of the central government’s share of Rs 2,064 lakhs, Punjab has received only Rs 567 lakhs in last two years. Other states also narrate a similar tale in terms of allocation of funds.

The central government must concentrate on the allocation of funds and the timely release of funds to the states in order to achieve the target of 22 MMT fish production by 2024-25. The scheme aims to bring a revolution in the fishing sector in the country by providing direct and indirect employment opportunities and by focusing on the sustainable modernisation of fishing infrastructure but at the same time, central government must ensure timely allocation of funds to the states and generation of employment opportunities.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, a well-structured scheme, if implemented efficiently by the cooperative efforts of the central government and state governments will surely provide a boost to the fishing sector and transform country’s blue economy.