The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying will inaugurate Sagar Parikrama Phase-IX in Thondi, Ramnad District, Tamil Nadu, on October 7, 2023. Politicians and officials from the Ministry will travel to eight coastal districts in Tamil Nadu, including Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Viluppuram, Chengalpattu, Chennai, Karaikal, and Puducherry.
During Sagar Parikrama Phase IX, politicians will interact with fishermen and distribute Certificates/sanctions pertaining to the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Kisan Credit Card (KCC), Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), and State Schemes to fishermen and beneficiaries.
The politicians will also attend stage events at Nagapattinam Fishing Harbour on October 7, Poompuhar Fishing Harbour on October 8, and Cuddalore Fishing Harbour on October 8. During Parikrama, literature on the PMMSY scheme, State schemes, e-shram, FIDF, and KCC will be widely disseminated to raise awareness about the schemes’ benefits and to promote the schemes.
Sagar Parikrama is a programme designed to reach fishermen’s communities along the country’s coastline. The initiative has been initiated to gain an understanding of the issues, experiences, and aspirations of coastal fishermen and raise awareness of the various government schemes and programmes available to them.
In the Sagar Parikrama Phase –IX, officials from the Fisheries Department Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, District officials, Senior officials from the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, National Fisheries Development Board, National Institute of Fisheries Post Harvest Technology and Training, Fishery Survey of India, Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical & Engineering Training and Indian Coast Guard will also participate.
Fishers, Fishermen representatives, fish farmers, entrepreneurs, fishermen cooperative society leaders, professionals, scientists, and other stakeholders will participate in various events and interactions during the Sagar Parikrama’s journey from Thondi, Ramnad District of Tamil Nadu, to Chennai, passing through other districts including Puducherry.
Union Territory of Puducherry is endowed with 1,400 ha of inland water area in the form of ponds and tanks suitable for fishery capture and cultivation. 800 ha of brackish water areas are available to cultivate brackish water prawns.
Tamil Nadu has the second-longest coastline in the country at 1,076 kilometres. The state has abundant marine, brackish water, and inland fisheries resources suitable for capture and aquaculture. The state’s marine fish production in 2021-22 was 5.95 million metric tonnes, of which 1.14 million metric tonnes were valued at Rs. 6,559.64 billion was exported. The fisheries industry provides a living for 10,48 lakh marine fishers via 5,830 mechanised and 45,688 traditional fishing vessels and 4,41,977 marine fisher individuals registered with the Tamil Nadu Fishermen Welfare Board.
The abundant fisheries biodiversity of Tamil Nadu provides more than a million people with direct and indirect means of subsistence. The sector’s contribution to the state’s agricultural GDP in 2021-22 is 5.78 per cent. During the fiscal year 2021-22, the fisheries sector contributed Rs 6,559.64 crores to the state’s foreign exchange earnings by exporting 1.14 lakh metric tonnes of fish and fishery products. In Puducherry, the Fishery Sector has become a vital sector that provides a source of income for fishermen, generates employment for a significant portion of the population, and contributes to national food security and valuable foreign exchange earnings.
The first eight segments of Sagar Parikrama traversed 4,115 kilometres through eight Coastal states and union territories, including Gujarat, Diu & Daman, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, and Andaman & Nicobar. The voyage represents a progressive initiative by the Indian government to demonstrate solidarity with fishermen, fish farmers, and other concerned coastal stakeholders. Through various government-implemented fisheries schemes and programmes, such as the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the initiative seeks to resolve the challenges faced by the fishing community and facilitate their economic upliftment. It also aims to disseminate information about these schemes and programmes, promote responsible fisheries focusing on sustainable balance, and protect marine ecosystems.
