Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the government is pushing a major cooperative-driven model to empower traditional fishermen under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
Under PMMSY, financial assistance is being extended to traditional and small-scale fishers for acquisition and upgradation of deep-sea fishing vessels (DSFVs). In a significant collaborative push, the Department of Fisheries and the Ministry of Cooperation have formed a Joint Working Group to strengthen fishermen cooperatives, promote value-chain development, and expand export-ready infrastructure.
Highlighting the cooperative success model, the Minister stated that in Maharashtra, 14 DSFVs have been supported through the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) with a project cost of Rs 20.30 crore.
This includes Rs 11.55 crore NCDC loan, Rs 6.72 crore PMMSY support, and Rs 2.03 crore cooperative society contribution. Recently, two fishermen societies in Mumbai received two new DSFVs on 27 October 2025, showcasing how cooperatives are enabling small fishers to venture into deeper waters using modern technology.
The Minister added that PMMSY, with an investment of Rs 20,050 crore, supports safety kits, tracking devices, livelihood diversification, cold-chain infrastructure, and modern fishing harbours. Additionally, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) provides concessional finance for major fisheries infrastructure, further strengthening cooperative institutions engaged in marine and aquaculture activities.
This cooperative-led mechanism is emerging as a transformative model for India’s fisheries sector.
