Kerala’s fisheries sector is staring at a big loss after the Centre re duced the allocations for various centralsector schemes (CSS) that are now bundled under `Blue Revolution’.The much-hyped project for integrated development and management of fisheries was introduced this year by the Union government. In place of the total annual allocation of Rs 50 crore from the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and the Union ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare during the previous years, the state has been sanctioned Rs 13 crore this fiscal, which can jeopardize its various schemes, especially those ensuring the welfare of the fishing community . Until last year, the state had received Rs 25 crore for various schemes covering inland aquaculture, modernization of fish markets, besides housing, group insurance and saving-cum-relief schemes for fishermen. The state had also received an equal amount from NFDB for renovation of markets, reservoir fisheries and ornamental fish production. Besides, with the scrapping of the five-year plan, the state can no more expect the finance commission’s grant-in-aid that was Rs 200 crore last time. “All these schemes were brought under Blue Revolution, which seems to be an eyewash.They have totally neglected the group insurance and saving-cumrelief schemes, while a negligent amount has been approved for the housing scheme,” said a top official in the department. Though the national scheme on welfare of fishermen is also a component of Blue Revolution, the administrative sanction has been accorded only for the housing project comprising 167 units at a total cost of Rs 200.40 lakh with 50% central share. The actual proposal estimated the cost at Rs 960 lakh. The cut in the central assistance will also lead to further decline in state’s marine fish production, which was 5.17 lakh metric tonne last year against 6.7 lakh metric tonne in 1996. Kerala, which was the number one state in marine fishing a decade ago, is now placed fourth. “Juvenile fishing has been cited as the major reason for the decrease in the production, which can be overcomed through strict implementation of the Marine Fisheries Regulation Act (MRFA) and open sea cage farming. The cut in the allocations will have an adverse impact on all these activities,” the official said. State fisheries minister J Mercykutty Amma, in a letter sent to Union minister Radha Mohan Singh in August, had proposed to set up new fisheries stations at Alappuzha, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kasaragod to regulate MRFA in the state with a coastal stretch of 590km and 30,000 fishing vessels. Estimating the annual recurring expenditure at Rs 10 crore, the letter had sought 50% financial assistance. Under Blue Revolution, which aims to increase productivity from aquaculture and fisheries resources, the Centre has given administrative sanction for 160 units of open sea cage culture, allocating 50% of the project cost of Rs 8 crore. “Open sea cage farming is not a new initiative. The state government under the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture scheme had already initiated cage farming at Adimalathura near Vizhinjam,” said another official. In the guise of developing inland fisheries, the scheme has opted to allocate funds equally to all states, even those that do not have a coast, officials said. “How can a state like Kerala, where fishing is the major activity for 10 lakh people, be treated equally with other states? The sector contributes 3% of the state’s income and 20% of the foreign exchange earnings in the form of marine products export,” they added.
2016 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.