Challenges of Boosting Fish Production in Assam

The Assam government’s clamping of a blanket ban on catching brood fish of certain species from April 1 to July 15 is aimed at the natural breeding, propagation and growth of fish in all fisheries and natural water bodies. This supply-side intervention is crucial for Assam achieving self-sufficiency in fish production.  Demand-side intervention through building awareness among consumers to refuse brood fish sold in the market and reporting to the authorities of violations of the ban is equally important to enforce the ban. Intensifying surveillance against use of unauthorised fishing nets with mesh size smaller than permitted size is crucial to ensure that the ban does not remain on paper. Roping in lessees of fisheries leased out by the government, local bodies, and the Assam Fisheries Development Corporation to adopt best practices of fish breeding and growth of fish that includes self-regulation by fishermen to curb catching of brood fish is crucial to boost natural breeding. Fish traders selling brood fish during the ban period going unnoticed by government officials point towards a systemic gap that needs to be addressed so that the issue of notification clamping the ban does not become ritualistic and fail to achieve the end goal. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) provides for livelihood and nutritional support for socio-economically backward active traditional fisher families for conservation of fish resources during the fishing ban/lean period. The financial assistance of Rs. 3000 is provided to each traditional fisher’s family during the fishing ban/lean period for three months. About 21,000 fisher’s families are extended this benefit under this provision with a total project cost of Rs 9.45 crore that includes the government of India’s share of Rs 5 crore. Increasing the amount for meeting the project cost substantially will benefit more traditional fishermen during the ban period to compensate for their loss of earnings. As the PMMSY is extended to March 31, 2026, the benefits under it will continue in the current year, but there is no clarity about the support to fishermen’s families during the ban period after the flagship scheme comes to an end after this extended period. While floods help spatial and natural distribution of indigenous fish species in natural water bodies in the state, devastating waves of floods also cause substantial losses to many household and cooperative fisheries. Such damage caused by floods sometimes coincides with the ban period and precipitates their financial crisis resulting from loss of income during the fishing ban period. The Departmentally Related Standing Committee of the Assam Assembly on the Fisheries Department observed that many fish farmers in the state have been suffering loss due to the damage caused by natural calamities, especially floods, and recommended that the department should initiate proposals for the provision of insurance for fish under aquaculture. The Committee’s Report on the Demand for Grant No. 54 for the year 2024-2025 brought to light that the department has been approaching different general insurance companies for an aquaculture crop insurance scheme since the year 2008 but has been unable to initiate the insurance process to date. Ironically, the department had to return funds received from the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) for aquaculture crop insurance provided for a pilot project in two districts. Nagaon and Morigaon fish farmers in the two districts were not at all interested in paying their insurance share of 70% to 80%. The NDFB provides a subsidy of 20% to general category fish farmers and 30% to SC/ST/women fish farmers. After not getting a negative response from the fish farmers in the two pilot districts, the department approached fish farmers in three districts of Barak Valley for insurance coverage under the NDFB-funded scheme but failed to get a positive response, the report adds. The NDFB reviewing the scheme in respect of marginalised fish farmers with poor financial conditions will not only shield fish farmers in the state with adequate insurance coverage, but it will also help them get credit for investment to boost production. As the compliance of the ban is directly linked with increasing fish production in the state and enhancing the income level of fishermen, the policies aimed at making Assam self-sufficient in fish production must address the issues of loss of income during the ban period and compensating for the loss due to floods. Even when the state is close to achieving the production to cater to its demand, there can be no room for complacency, as the demand is poised to increase with a steady rise in the disposable income of consumers. Fish illegally coming from Myanmar and Bangladesh affecting the income of local fishermen has the potential of traditional fishermen affected by it withdrawing from fish farming and seeking other livelihood avenues. The fish farming remaining a sustainable livelihood for traditional fishermen is critical to the state achieving its goal of attaining self-sufficiency in fish production and also sustaining it to cater to growing demand.