Question : Modern Fishing Harbours

(a) whether Government has proposed substantial investments in development of modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether Government has proposed to develop five major fishing harbours - Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Petuaghat as hubs of economic activity, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether Government proposes to develop inland fishing harbours and fish landing centres;
(d) if so, the details thereof:
(e) whether seaweed farming has potential to transform lives of coastal communities;
(f) if so, whether Government proposes to establish a multipurpose seaweed park in Tamil Nadu to promote seaweed cultivation and the other steps being taken in this regard; and
(g) the action, if any, already taken in regard to development of modern/inland fishing harbours and fish landing centres during last three years and current year, State-wise along with funds sanctioned/spent so far?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

(SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH)
(a) to (g) : A Statement is placed on the Table of the House.
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Statement referred to in reply to the Lok Sabha Starred Question No *218 put in by Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy and Shri Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Members of Parliament for answer on 9th March ,2021 regarding Modern Fishing Harbours
(a) : Yes Sir. The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) envisages substantial investments to the tune of Rs.3490 crore for development of fishing harbours and fish landing centres during the period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. Further, under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund(FIDF), concessional finance is provided to the State Governments/Union Territories to undertake development of fishing harbours and fish landing centres. Till date, 14 fishing harbour projects worth of Rs. 3451.32 crores have been approved under FIDF.

(b) to (d) : Yes Sir. The Government of India in its budget 2021-22 has announced development of 5 Major Fishing Harbours namely Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Petuaghat as hubs of economic activities and also to develop inland fishing harbours and fish-landing centres along the banks of rivers and waterways.

(e) and (f) : Yes Sir. Seaweed farming has immense potential to transform lives of coastal communities. The Government of India in its budget 2021-22 has announced establishment of a Multipurpose Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu to promote seaweed cultivation and value chain. Development and promotion of seaweed cultivation and value chain has been identified as one of the priority areas by the Government. The PMMSY inter alia provides for focused development and promotion of seaweed cultivation in the country with requisite financial allocations.

(g): The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India under the CSS on Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries during the last three years 2017-18 to 2019-20 had sanctioned the projects worth of Rs. 316 lakh to various State Governments for construction of fish landing centre, berthing/auction platform, auction halls and net mending sheds on the shores of reservoir and rivers. The State-wise details of the projects approved under erstwhile CSS on Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries in this regard are furnished at Annexure-I. However, development of Modern Inland Fishing Harbours and Fish Landing Centres along the banks of rivers and waterways is an initiative announced in the Budget 2021-22.