The price of Diesel, Petrol and Kerosene has skyrocketed in the past three months. While the price of Petrol per litre has crossed Rs. 120 in Mumbai, the price of diesel is nearly Rs. 1o5 per litre. Non-PDS Kerosene has attained a high of more than Rs. 130 per litre in Mumbai.
The small-scale fishers who, with their motorised non-mechanical boats venture into the sea, rivers and other water bodies to fish for livelihood, are facing dire problems due to the abrupt increase in the cost of fuel. The small-scale fishing communities are mostly engaged in sustainable fishing and are already facing livelihood crisis due to overfishing and destructive fishing by the larger fishing boats like trawlers and purse-seiners. For protection of our natural fish resources, food security of our people and also for maintaining a huge employment with gender balance small scale fisheries need to be supported. The small scale fishing communities deserve sympathetic and humane behaviour from the government for the service they are providing for the nation and the society.
The situation demands immediate relief. The small-scale fishers must be provided with duty free fuel. Diesel and Petrol used as fuel for motorised non-mechanical small fishing boats should have no Exide Duty or VAT and Kerosene used as fuel for motorised non-mechanical small fishing boats should be supplied at PDS rate.
The fuel subsidy for fishing boats should be provided exclusively as livelihood support for small scale fishing in marine or inland fisheries adhering to strict ‘Sustainability Criteria’. Fuel subsidy should not be provided to larger fishing boats that fish mainly for commercial purpose and cause overfishing and destructive fishing through their large capacities and aggressive gears.
As such to maintain sustainability criteria, only motorized non-mechanical fishing boats [as indicated by Merchant Shipping (Registration of Indian Fishing Boats) Rules, 1988 under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958] should be provided with fuel subsidy in the Marine Sector. In the Inland Sector there may not be any differentiation for fuel subsidy as only small motorised non-mechanical boats operate. The fishermen’s cooperative societies may be entrusted with the responsibility to distribute subsidised fuel to the small-scale fishers.
National Platform for Small Scale Fish Workers have written to the Prime Minister as well as to the MIC Finance, MIC Petroleum & Natural Gas alongwith MIC Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying to take immediate steps for supply of duty free fuel to small scale fishers.