Prioritise timely fund disbursal for fisheries schemes: Centre to states

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) Fisheries Secretary Abhilaksh Likhi on Friday urged states and Union Territories to prioritise timely and efficient disbursal of funds to ensure smooth progression of approved activities under the central fisheries schemes.

Addressing the National Fisheries Secretaries Conference here, Likhi emphasised the need for a time-bound approach toward the development of Integrated Aquaparks, seaweed farming, Climate-Resilient Coastal Fishermen Villages (CRCFVs), artificial reefs, and cluster development.

Likhi also called for a concerted push on digitalisation, urging states and UTs to increase the number of registrations on the National Fisheries Digital Portal.

He highlighted existing gaps in aquaculture insurance coverage and encouraged states and UTs to promote wider uptake to safeguard fisher livelihoods, an official statement said.

He further advised states and UTs to closely track fisheries and aquaculture components under the PM Dhan Dhanya Yojana to ensure the benefits of the scheme are delivered effectively at the grassroots level.

The conference was held to review the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), and Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), as well as the Marine Fisheries Census 2025, value-added seafood exports, and key deliverables across schemes.

During the review, Maharashtra was advised to discontinue the lottery system for deep-sea fishing vessel allotment to enable wider access for cooperatives. Kerala was directed to initiate seaweed farming, while States were instructed to report scheme progress in DISHA conferences.

Tamil Nadu requested the establishment of an NFDB regional office in Chennai, and Puducherry was directed to expedite the Pilot C6 Biofuel Energy Project.

Madhya Pradesh was instructed to fast-track work on Aquaparks, Jharkhand, to accelerate progress on Matsya Sewa Kendras, DAJGUA, pearl clusters, and reservoir-based activities, and Chhattisgarh to strengthen its Tilapia cluster.

Rajasthan was advised to fully utilise SC/ST and DAJGUA funds, and Haryana to strengthen its Aquapark and shrimp cluster. The need to operationalise cooperative guidelines in Odisha and to strengthen cluster-based development, reservoir fisheries, and digital integration across States was also underscored.

The conference saw participation from senior officials of 25 states and Union Territories, along with representatives from ICAR institutes, Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED), Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and other sectoral stakeholders. PTI LUX TRB TRB