Sri Vijaya Puram, November 13: The ₹218-crore allocation for fisheries development in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) has prompted calls for time-bound implementation, modern fishing infrastructure and greater participation of traditional fishing communities to ensure that the investment translates into livelihood opportunities.
S U Maheswar Rao, Chairman of the Andaman and Nicobar Fisheries Cooperative Federation Ltd. (ANIFCOFED) and former Governing Body Member of the National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad, welcomed the allocation and urged the Centre and the island administration to ensure that local fishermen and cooperative institutions participate in planning and executing the projects.
According to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying’s November 10 release, the Centre has allocated ₹218 crore for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and ₹175 crore for Lakshadweep. The funding is intended to support sustainable fisheries, modern infrastructure and improved livelihood opportunities in the island territories.
Rao identified high-value tuna species, including Yellowfin, Skipjack and Bigeye, as an important area of fisheries development, citing the islands’ marine resources. He called for the proposed tuna cluster to include modern fishing vessels, fleet modernisation, cold storage and improved post-harvest facilities. He also sought a stronger presence of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) to facilitate direct seafood exports.
He cautioned against concentrating development efforts exclusively on tuna fisheries and called for parallel investment in seaweed cultivation, ornamental fisheries, mariculture, cage culture, fish processing and value addition to diversify income sources for traditional fishermen and young entrepreneurs.
Among the infrastructure priorities he identified were the modernisation of existing fish landing centres, integrated fishing harbours, ice plants, refrigerated transport facilities, boat-building and repair units, and modern fish markets. He also called for greater access to deep-sea fishing vessels and modern tuna fishing technology.
Rao further stressed the need to strengthen fishermen’s cooperative societies through financial and technical support, alongside specialised training for fishermen, women and young people. He said cooperative institutions and the apex fisheries federation should have an active role in project planning, implementation and monitoring.
He urged the Union Fisheries Ministry and the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to ensure coordination, transparency and fixed implementation timelines, with benefits reaching traditional fishermen, vessel owners, fishing families, self-help groups and local entrepreneurs.
Rao also called for responsible fishing practices and marine biodiversity conservation while developing the islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone and deep-sea fishing grounds. He said sustainable resource management would be essential to building the fisheries sector without compromising marine ecosystems.
