The Centre has intensified efforts to strengthen women-led fisheries cooperatives as part of its Blue Economy strategy, with Andhra Pradesh emerging as a key success story. Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the state has formed 213 women-led coastal cooperative societies between April 1, 2021 and June 15, 2026, benefiting 27,447 women engaged in fisheries, seaweed cultivation and marine processing across 12 coastal districts.
The information was shared by Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
According to the Ministry of Fisheries, the Department of Fisheries has been supporting the formation and strengthening of fisheries cooperative societies across the country under PMMSY, with a special focus on increasing women’s participation in fisheries-related livelihoods.
Among the districts, Krishna accounted for the highest number of women-led cooperative societies with 42, followed by Bapatla with 34 and Kakinada with 32. In terms of beneficiaries, Krishna also led with 6,197 women, followed by SPSR Nellore with 4,428 and Bapatla with 4,332 women members.
The Centre is also providing several incentives to promote women-led fisheries cooperatives. Such cooperatives are encouraged to register on the National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP), making them eligible for enhanced incentives, including performance grants of up to Rs 2 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY).
In another significant initiative, women-led fisheries cooperatives are being given priority in obtaining Access Passes for fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Letters of Authorization (LoA) for High Seas fishing. To encourage greater participation in high seas fishing, the application and renewal fee for LoAs has been slashed from Rs 25,000 to Rs 5,000.
As part of the broader Blue Economy agenda, the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) has prepared an action plan to facilitate the formation of 12,000 fisheries cooperatives across the country, including women-led coastal cooperative societies in uncovered villages and panchayats.
Additionally, the PM-MKSSY, a sub-scheme of PMMSY, envisages strengthening 5,500 Primary Fisheries Cooperative Societies through mentoring, capacity building and need-based financial support. The initiative is expected to enhance the institutional capacity of fisheries cooperatives while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for women in coastal communities, reinforcing the cooperative movement’s role in inclusive economic development.
