India is the world’s second-largest fish producer with exports worth more than ` 47,000 crore. Fisheries are the country’s single-largest agriculture export, with a growth rate of 6–10 per cent in the past five years. Realising the importance of fisheries in export earnings and job potential, the union government has created a separate department for fisheries. It is a significant step as fisheries are the primary source of livelihood for several communities. Till now, fisheries was clubbed with animal husbandry and dairy under the agriculture ministry, but now having a dedicated department will increase the focus on the development of the sector.
The Need
To address many concerns, from special economic zones and power plants eating into the coastline to over-fishing by mechanised trawlers, traditional and marginal fisherfolk have been demanding a full-fledged ministry of fisheries in the Union government for a long time. Almost every Indian state has a fisheries ministry, including smaller states like Manipur. The priority of the Union ministry of agriculture is the welfare and enhancement of the farm sector while fisherfolk are always denied the welfare benefits. Debt relief packages are regularly announced for farmers, but there are no such schemes for fishing communities. The separate ministry will address several problems faced by the marginal fishers, like destructive mechanised fishing and coastal sand mining. It has been formed with the objective to promote the allied farm sector that has huge potential to help achieve the government’s target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. There should be participatory decision-making, especially with regard to implementation of policies and enforcement of rules by involving the fishing communities. But as the fishing sector was interlinked with various ministries such as environment and commerce, as far as various project proposals are concerned, it was necessary to bring the various aspects of the sector under one umbrella. The absence of an integrated approach by different departments of the government has contributed to the distress of the fishing communities.
Benefits
A concentrated effort by an independent department could help the government achieve its objective of doubling farmers’ income through fisheries development, provided its policies address the challenge of sustainability. Of the total budget allocated (2019–20) to the new ministry, ` 2,932.25 crore is estimated to be spent on various schemes to promote animal husbandry and dairying, while ` 804.75 crore is for fisheries sector in the current fiscal. The independent department with a separate secretary at the helm of affairs is expected to rejuvenate the sector with more and more development projects getting cleared at a faster rate. With this development, it is expected that the independent department will get better budget allocations for new investments and establishment of infrastructure like cold chain facility in the supply chain of seafood products. With the formation of the new ministry, the government has furthered its 2030 master plan to overtake China and enable India to become World No. 1 in aquaculture, fish production, and in exports of seafood products.
The new department has been envisioned with the purpose of undivided attention to creating and strengthening infrastructure facilities in marine and inland fisheries. This is intended to give a boost to aquaculture and post-harvest activities. It has been forecasted that the country would have over 15 million tonnes of fish by the end of 2019. This pathway has been visualised as a way to create a model of sustainable fish production.
The formation of a separate department for fisheries may usher in a blue revolution that will stimulate growth in the sector and improve the lives of the coastal community. Currently, the fishing community is facing a host of issues. The move may bring in more coordination in conservation measures, fishing regulatory measures, and protection of interest of fishermen. Exclusive attention is required to address issues pertaining to the sector, such as dwindling catch, marine pollution, overfishing, CRZ rules in the backwaters, climate change, market stagnation, and exports.