Fisheries Sector

WHY IN NEWS?

• India’s fisheries sector, which has seen double-digit average annual growth of 10.87 per cent since 2014-15, has recorded fish production of 142 lakh tons in FY 2019-20, which has become a new record.

BACKGROUND

• Fisheries and aquaculture continue to be an important source of food, nutrition, income, and livelihood for millions of people.
• India is the second largest fish producing country in the world accounting for 7.56 per cent of global production
• The sector contributes about 1.24 per cent to the country's Gross Value Added (GVA) and over 7.28 per cent to the agricultural GVA.

SIGNIFICANCE

• Nutritional significance
  • Fish being an affordable and rich source of animal protein, is one of the healthiest options to mitigate hunger and malnutrition.
• Instrumental in sustaining the livelihoods
  • Sector provides livelihood support to about 2.8 crore people at the primary level and almost twice the number along the value chain.
  • The employment are generated especially for marginalised and vulnerable communities and has contributed towards encourage socio-economic development
• Export earnings
  • Export earnings from the fisheries sector has been Rs 46,662.85 crore during 2019-20.
• Increasing productivity
  • The productivity of freshwater fish farms has gone up to more than 3 metric tonnes per hectare from the 2.5 tonnes per hectare.
  • Productivity of brackish water coastal aquaculture has touched 10 to 12 metric tonnes per hectare — a sharp increase from the previous two to four tonnes per hectare.

CHALLENGES

• Lack of data:
  • Lack of a reliable database relating to aquatic and fisheries resources in India.
• Food safety issues:
  • Recently, the most important challenge is faced by fishing sector is usage of formalin and ammonia in fish.
• Sustainability:
  • The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture reports note that:
    • Nearly 90 per cent of the global marine fish stocks have either been fully-exploited or over-fished or depleted to an extent that recovery may not be biologically possible.
    • While the near-shore coastal waters are highly overfished, the high value fish stock proliferates in the deep seas.
• Geographical challenges
  • India lies in Tropical belt. Tropical fisheries have higher oil content which is less desirable for eating.
  • In the Tropical regions, multiple varieties of fishes occur, but in smaller groups, which is not good for large scale commercial exploitation.
• Lack of capability of fisherman :
  • Insufficient Mechanization:
    • Marine capture fishery comprises largely of small fishermen who operate traditional boats — either non-motorised vessels or boats with a basic outboard motor.
    • These vessels cannot operate beyond near shore waters.
    • High value species such as tuna cannot be caught by fishermen who use these vessels.
  • Lack of technology:
    • Due to the poverty of fishermen they not able to use latest technology. Still most of them follow traditional fishing.
  • Poor infrastructure such as cold storage facilities, leading to an estimated 15-20% post-harvest loss.
• Low productivity:
  • Productivity in both marine and inland fisheries sectors is low in terms of per fisher, per boat and per farm.
  • In Norway, a fisherman/farmer catches/produces 250 kg per day while the Indian average is four to five kg.
• Lack of access to quality seed and feed for fish farming
• Lack of linkage between research and fish farmers community:
  • Limited number of species grown / cultured, mainly due to weak linkages between research and development and fish farmers community.
• Boundary disputes with Sri Lanka:
  • Tensions over fishing in the Palk Straits have severely impacted the fisheries sector
  • Fishermen from both India and Sri Lanka are periodically arrested and have their boats seized for straying into their neighbour’s territorial waters
• Ecological issues:
  • Ecological destruction and marine bio-diversity loss due to indiscriminate fishing
  • Increased use of Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) >> leading to ill effects on marine culture.
  • Pollution
    • Aquatic pollution, destruction of fish habitats and frequent occurrence of Dead Zones/Hypoxic zones leading to shifting or permanent loss of fishing zone.
  • Marine pollution
    • Marine pollution such as oil spills, sewage disposal etc is detrimental to fish production

INITIATIVES

• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
  • Launched in Union Budget, 2019-20
  • Objectives of the scheme:
    • Harnessing of fisheries potential in a sustainable, responsible, inclusive and equitable manner
    • Enhancing of fish production and productivity through expansion, intensification, diversification and productive utilization of land and water
    • Modernizing and strengthening of value chain - post-harvest management and quality improvement
    • Doubling fishers and fish farmers’ incomes and generation of employment
    • Enhancing contribution to Agriculture GVA and exports
    • Social, physical and economic security for fishers and fish farmers
    • Robust fisheries management and regulatory framework
  • Major components
    • Cluster or area-based approach
      • It would be followed with requisite forward and backward linkages and end to end solutions.
      • Suitable linkages and convergence will be fostered with other centre and state government schemes wherever feasible.
    • Active participation of States/UTs
      • Creation of State Programme Units in all States/UTs & District Programme Units and Sub-District Programme Unit in high fisheries potential districts.
    • Infusing new and emerging technologies
      • Re-circulatory Aquaculture Systems, Biofloc, Aquaponics, Cage Cultivation etc.
    • Special focus on:
      • Coldwater fisheries development
      • Expansion of Aquaculture in Brackish Water and Saline Areas
      • Seaweed cultivation and Ornamental Fisheries
      • Fisheries development in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Islands, Northeast, and Aspirational Districts through area specific development plans.
    • Collectivization of fishers and fish farmers through Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs)
      • To increase bargaining power of fishers and fish farmers
    • Development of Coastal fisher communities
      • In a holistic manner through integrated modern coastal fishing villages with necessary infrastructure
    • Insurance:
      • Insurance coverage for fishing vessels has been introduced for the first time.
      • Annual Livelihood support for fishers during ban/lean period would be provided.
    • Extension support services:
      • Youth would be engaged in fisheries extension by creation of Sagar Mitras in coastal fisher villages
    • Promotion of high value species:
      • Establishing a national network of Brood Banks for all commercially important species
      • Genetic improvement and establishing Nucleus Breeding Center for self-reliance in Shrimp Brood stock
    • Promotion of organic aquaculture and its certification
    • Private sector participation, development of entrepreneurship and innovative project activities in fisheries sector.
  • Expected outcomes:
    • Enhancing fish production
    • An increase in the contribution of GVA of fisheries sector to the Agriculture GVA
    • Increase the export earnings through fisheries sector
    • Enhancing productivity in aquaculture from the present national average of 3 tonnes to about 5 tonnes per hectare.
    • Reduction of post-harvest losses from the reported 20-25% to about 10%.
    • Enhancement of the domestic fish consumption from about 5-6 kg to about 12 kg per capita.
    • Generate direct and indirect employment opportunities in the fisheries sector along the supply and value chain.
• National Fisheries Policy 2020:
  • It aims to develop an ecologically healthy, economically viable and socially inclusive fisheries sector.
• National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB):
  • An exclusive body for fisheries development called ‘National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB)’ was established in 2006.
• Inclusion of fishermen in the PM-KISAN scheme
  • which gives Rs 6,000 annually to farmers in three equal instalments.
• Extension of the KCC facility in the fisheries sector
  • Government has extended the facility of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to fisheries and animal husbandry farmers in the budget for 2018-19
  • KCC will help fishermen and farmers in meeting their working capital requirement >> through improved access to institutional credit facilities
• Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA)
  • Established Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) for regulation of coastal aquaculture activities
• GEMINI device:
  • GEMINI stands for Gagan Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation & Information
  • It aims for dissemination of information on disaster warnings, Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ) and Ocean States Forecasts (OSF) to fishermen.
  • GOI also issued an advisory to all coastal States & UTs to make mandatory the use of Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) in fishing vessels for safe navigation.
• Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries
  • It is an umbrella scheme to create an enabling environment for integrated development of the full potential of fisheries of the country
  • The scheme has the following components:
    • National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and its activities
    • Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture
    • Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure and Post-Harvest Operations
    • Strengthening of Database & Geographical Information System of the Fisheries Sector
    • Institutional Arrangement for Fisheries Sector
    • Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) and other need-based Interventions
    • National Scheme of Welfare of Fishermen
• Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF):
  • To assist in creating several infrastructural needs of the sector in the country.

SUGGESTIONS:

• Diversification:
  • Diversification of marine fishing activities to tap the deep sea and under-utilized resources
  • Adoption of culture based capture fisheries in reservoirs and under- utilized larger water bodies.
  • Species diversification and introduction of high value commercial species.
• Improving governance:
  • Networking of all line Departments/organizations dealing with fisheries under a single agency
  • Aquaculture needs to be treated at par with agriculture in terms of water, power tariff, tax benefits, subsidy, insurance and credit.
• Demand side intervention:
  • Encourage fish consumption through awareness on the health benefits of fish and its nutritional security.
• Socio economic welfare of fisher folk:
  • Revamping of FFDAs and involvement of Cooperative Societies and Self Help Groups (SHGs) and ensuring the socio economic welfare of fisher folk.
• Infrastructure:
  • Improving marketing infrastructure and value addition
  • Construction of new ponds and tanks.
• Usage of expertise of scientific institutions and fishers:
  • The expertise of scientific institutions and fishers will be utilized to optimize fishing efforts and implement measures to check resource depletion and ensure sustainability.
• Promotion of innovative practices
  • For ex: ‘Re-circulatory aquaculture system’ helps to realise the goal of more crop per drop.
  • Promotion of ‘cage culture’  in reservoirs and other open water bodies.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Analyse the challenges associated with ensuring ecological and economical sustainability in marine and inland fishing in India?