Centre Considers Fisheries as Priority Sector: Parshottam Rupala

Centre Considers Fisheries as Priority Sector: Parshottam Rupala

Udupi: “The Central government has considered the fisheries sector as a priority sector. The ongoing Sagar Parikrama programme of his Ministry is to hear fishermen and empower them to contribute to the economic growth of the nation”, said the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala during the inauguration of the fourth phase of the Sagar Parikrama at Malpe here on March 19.

Addressing the gathering Rupala said, “In the present phase on the Karnataka coast, he heard from the fishermen the problems they face in getting kerosene, diesel and petrol and issues related to the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada and other schemes. He also heard the problems faced by the fishermen in repaying loans taken from the private lenders at exorbitant interest”.

Rupala further said, “The Ministry will work with the State government in addressing issues faced by the fishermen. The Central Government is spending Rs 20,050 crore for the fisheries sector for five years (2020-25). This will increase not just the production scale in the fisheries sector but the investment will be an added income generation opportunity”.

Referring to some fishermen in Udupi who have taken loans from private lenders at exorbitant interest, Rupala asked the fishermen to avail Kisan Credit Card by which fishermen can get loans up to Rs 1.6 lakh without any collateral security.

The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna (PMMSY) scheme, along with other multidimensional activities of the blue revolution, has a significant focus on increasing fisheries production and productivity in both inland and marine areas, as well as supporting associated activities such as infrastructure development, marketing, exports, and institutional arrangements. Rupala thanked the fishermen and fish farmers for sharing their experiences and recommending methods to enhance the development of the fisheries sector. He also acknowledged the officials from the Government of Karnataka for their efforts in streamlining coordination through the Sagar Parikrama Phase IV. The speaker emphasized that introducing sea ambulances would be immensely helpful to our fisherfolk, and the fisheries sector should be recognized as a primary sector.

Rupala also urged people to take advantage of the benefits offered by the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme for fish farmers and allied activities. Additionally, he requested volunteers to help create awareness about schemes such as PMMSY and KCC so that beneficiaries could take advantage of them. He further called upon banks to provide loans to fishermen who have a good track record of repaying loans and encouraged them to take advantage of interest rebates for loan repayment.

According to the Ministry of Fisheries, the fourth phase of Sagar Parikrama covered a total of 10 locations in the Uttara Kannada, Udupi, and Dakshina Kannada districts. The journey began at Majali and continued to Karwar, Belambara, Manki, Murudeshwar, Alvekodi, Malpe, Uchhila and Mangaluru.