Maha Cabinet approves agriculture status for fishing

The government will provide infrastructure facilities and incentives to the fisheries sector.

The fishermen will now be entitled to compensation for damage on the lines of agriculture due to Tuesday's decision.

State Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane told reporters that "giving the status of agriculture to fishing is a game changer decision. Due to this decision, our state can come in the top three in fishing. Our state is at sixth position in terms of marine fishing. Nearly, 4,83,000 fishermen will get concessional benefits like farmers. Fishermen will get loans as per agricultural rates, concessional electricity rates and insurance while solar energy benefits will be available. The availability of funds will be easy."

He said that like farmers, the fishermen will get a discount on electricity rates and Kisan Credit Card facility.

"The farmers will be eligible for loan assistance at agricultural rates. Fisheries will get insurance at low rates and fishermen will be eligible for financial assistance to set up fish farms with the help of new technologies (such as aquaculture). Grants will be available for cold storage facilities and ice factories."

The Minister said that fishermen will get benefits of various Central and state government schemes and benefits.

Minister Rane said that a decision will create employment.

Fishermen will also be able to avail benefits like farmers in the district central cooperative banks, he added.

"Today's decision will improve the fishermen financially," he said.

The Cabinet's decision is important especially when Maharashtra lags behind other states in fish production, he added.

According to the State Fisheries department, in the fiscal 2022-23, of the total fish production of 17.54 million metric tonnes in the country, Maharashtra's fish production was only 0.59 million MT (3.3 per cent).

Maharashtra ranks sixth in marine fishing and 17th in inland fishing in the country.

In terms of fish production, Maharashtra's position is very low among the leading states in the country.

"Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Karnataka have provided facilities such as electricity tariff concession, Kisan Credit Card, loan assistance at agricultural rates, insurance tariff concession and equipment concession to give agricultural status to fisheries. In the last six years, the fish production has increased in Andhra Pradesh by 50.43 per cent, Chhattisgarh 32.15 per cent, Jharkhand 49.526 per cent, Bihar 45.02 per cent and Karnataka 103.03 per cent," said the fisheries department sources.