Yojana Magazine July 2023 - 5 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


60 July 2023
isheries is a sunrise sector in India. 
It has immense economic potential 
in India that has a coastline of over 
8,000 km, an exclusive economic zone 
of over 2 million square km, and with extensive 
freshwater bodies stretching the length and 
breadth of the nation. India is the 3
rd
 largest  
fish-producing country in the world, contributing 
7.93% towards global fish production, and is 
the second largest among the aquaculture  
fish-producing countries globally. The fisheries 
sector plays an important role in the Indian 
F
Economy. It contributes to around one per cent 
of the national gDP. It is moving at a fast pace, 
contributing not only to the national income 
but also to India’s exports, food and nutritional 
security, and employment generation. It provides 
livelihoods to more than 2.8 crore fishers and fish-
farmers. India is endowed with bounties of water 
resources in both the marine and inland sectors 
including brackish and cold water, and it boasts 
a significant population of skilled manpower. The 
country has annual export earnings of over rs 
50,000 crore from the fisheries sector. 
B k mishra The author is holding the charge of MD, National Federation of Fishers Cooperatives Ltd. Delhi and is an expert in the operation 
and governance sphere of fishery cooperatives in India. Email: bimalk1234@hotmail.com
The Fisheries sector is quite diverse with sub-sectors like marine, 
inland, and brackish water, besides cold water and ornamental 
fisheries. With the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation, the 
momentum for the fishery cooperative movement in the country 
picked up in 2021 and since then, they have received priority 
attention and real focus. The role of fishery cooperatives must be 
considered at every level in the changed economic scenario, and they 
should be supported with funds to develop infrastructures and a 
progressive supply and value chain for sustainability. The Government 
of India is committed to uplift the fishery cooperative sector through 
adequate policy and financial support.
FOCUS
Fishery Cooperatives
 a Blue oCeaN For  
eCoNomiC DevelopmeNt
Page 2


60 July 2023
isheries is a sunrise sector in India. 
It has immense economic potential 
in India that has a coastline of over 
8,000 km, an exclusive economic zone 
of over 2 million square km, and with extensive 
freshwater bodies stretching the length and 
breadth of the nation. India is the 3
rd
 largest  
fish-producing country in the world, contributing 
7.93% towards global fish production, and is 
the second largest among the aquaculture  
fish-producing countries globally. The fisheries 
sector plays an important role in the Indian 
F
Economy. It contributes to around one per cent 
of the national gDP. It is moving at a fast pace, 
contributing not only to the national income 
but also to India’s exports, food and nutritional 
security, and employment generation. It provides 
livelihoods to more than 2.8 crore fishers and fish-
farmers. India is endowed with bounties of water 
resources in both the marine and inland sectors 
including brackish and cold water, and it boasts 
a significant population of skilled manpower. The 
country has annual export earnings of over rs 
50,000 crore from the fisheries sector. 
B k mishra The author is holding the charge of MD, National Federation of Fishers Cooperatives Ltd. Delhi and is an expert in the operation 
and governance sphere of fishery cooperatives in India. Email: bimalk1234@hotmail.com
The Fisheries sector is quite diverse with sub-sectors like marine, 
inland, and brackish water, besides cold water and ornamental 
fisheries. With the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation, the 
momentum for the fishery cooperative movement in the country 
picked up in 2021 and since then, they have received priority 
attention and real focus. The role of fishery cooperatives must be 
considered at every level in the changed economic scenario, and they 
should be supported with funds to develop infrastructures and a 
progressive supply and value chain for sustainability. The Government 
of India is committed to uplift the fishery cooperative sector through 
adequate policy and financial support.
FOCUS
Fishery Cooperatives
 a Blue oCeaN For  
eCoNomiC DevelopmeNt
61 July 2023
Fishery Development: Government of india’ s t hrust
To boost India’s economy through the 
fisheries sector, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya 
Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched in 
the year 2019-20 with a total project outlay 
of rs 20,050 crore by the Ministry of Fisheries, 
Animal Husbandry and Dairying. A dedicated  
rs 7,522 crore Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure 
Development Fund (FIDF) was created in the 
year 2018-19. The government also initiated the 
Blue revolution in 2014, boosting not only fish 
production but also infrastructure development in 
the fisheries sector. To make Atmanirbhar Bharat 
successful in the sector, many beneficiary-oriented 
schemes have been introduced, focusing on 
entrepreneurship. The momentum for the fishery 
cooperative movement in the country picked up 
in 2021 with the establishment of the Ministry 
of Cooperation. It was a landmark decision by 
the government of India for strengthening and 
empowering the Cooperatives and their members 
to become drivers for economic development.
Fishery Cooperative movement in india
The fishery cooperative movement in India 
began as early as 1913, when the first fishermen’s 
society was organised under the name of ‘Karla 
Machhimar Cooperative Society’ in Maharashtra. 
over the course of 110 years, the Indian fishery 
cooperative movement has reached all States with 
different tier structures but its full potential is yet to 
be tapped. 
A total of 24 States/uTs each have a State-
level Fishery Federation. only three States have 6 
regional federations. 126 districts have district-level 
fishery federations. In all, there are 27,391 primary 
fishery societies in India with 39.57 lakh fishers as 
members. Per society membership has been an 
average of 144 fishers. Primary fishery societies with 
more than 500 members were found in Puducherry, 
Page 3


60 July 2023
isheries is a sunrise sector in India. 
It has immense economic potential 
in India that has a coastline of over 
8,000 km, an exclusive economic zone 
of over 2 million square km, and with extensive 
freshwater bodies stretching the length and 
breadth of the nation. India is the 3
rd
 largest  
fish-producing country in the world, contributing 
7.93% towards global fish production, and is 
the second largest among the aquaculture  
fish-producing countries globally. The fisheries 
sector plays an important role in the Indian 
F
Economy. It contributes to around one per cent 
of the national gDP. It is moving at a fast pace, 
contributing not only to the national income 
but also to India’s exports, food and nutritional 
security, and employment generation. It provides 
livelihoods to more than 2.8 crore fishers and fish-
farmers. India is endowed with bounties of water 
resources in both the marine and inland sectors 
including brackish and cold water, and it boasts 
a significant population of skilled manpower. The 
country has annual export earnings of over rs 
50,000 crore from the fisheries sector. 
B k mishra The author is holding the charge of MD, National Federation of Fishers Cooperatives Ltd. Delhi and is an expert in the operation 
and governance sphere of fishery cooperatives in India. Email: bimalk1234@hotmail.com
The Fisheries sector is quite diverse with sub-sectors like marine, 
inland, and brackish water, besides cold water and ornamental 
fisheries. With the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation, the 
momentum for the fishery cooperative movement in the country 
picked up in 2021 and since then, they have received priority 
attention and real focus. The role of fishery cooperatives must be 
considered at every level in the changed economic scenario, and they 
should be supported with funds to develop infrastructures and a 
progressive supply and value chain for sustainability. The Government 
of India is committed to uplift the fishery cooperative sector through 
adequate policy and financial support.
FOCUS
Fishery Cooperatives
 a Blue oCeaN For  
eCoNomiC DevelopmeNt
61 July 2023
Fishery Development: Government of india’ s t hrust
To boost India’s economy through the 
fisheries sector, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya 
Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched in 
the year 2019-20 with a total project outlay 
of rs 20,050 crore by the Ministry of Fisheries, 
Animal Husbandry and Dairying. A dedicated  
rs 7,522 crore Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure 
Development Fund (FIDF) was created in the 
year 2018-19. The government also initiated the 
Blue revolution in 2014, boosting not only fish 
production but also infrastructure development in 
the fisheries sector. To make Atmanirbhar Bharat 
successful in the sector, many beneficiary-oriented 
schemes have been introduced, focusing on 
entrepreneurship. The momentum for the fishery 
cooperative movement in the country picked up 
in 2021 with the establishment of the Ministry 
of Cooperation. It was a landmark decision by 
the government of India for strengthening and 
empowering the Cooperatives and their members 
to become drivers for economic development.
Fishery Cooperative movement in india
The fishery cooperative movement in India 
began as early as 1913, when the first fishermen’s 
society was organised under the name of ‘Karla 
Machhimar Cooperative Society’ in Maharashtra. 
over the course of 110 years, the Indian fishery 
cooperative movement has reached all States with 
different tier structures but its full potential is yet to 
be tapped. 
A total of 24 States/uTs each have a State-
level Fishery Federation. only three States have 6 
regional federations. 126 districts have district-level 
fishery federations. In all, there are 27,391 primary 
fishery societies in India with 39.57 lakh fishers as 
members. Per society membership has been an 
average of 144 fishers. Primary fishery societies with 
more than 500 members were found in Puducherry, 
62 July 2023
Table-1: CurrENT STruCTurE oF FISHEr Y CooPEr ATIvES IN INDIA
Sn State / Ut  
number of Societies (level)  
% of primary 
Society to 
total
no. of 
members  
no. of Farmer 
members per 
society
State District primary 
1 Andhra Pradesh  1 13 2,810 10.26 2,86,410 102
2 Arunachal Pradesh  - - 11 0.04 230 21
3 Assam  1 2 520 1.90 90,000 173
4 Bihar  1 5 528 1.93 4,10,007 777
5 Chhattisgarh  1 5 1671 6.10 55,685 33
6 goa  - - 26 0.09 1,503 58
7 gujarat  1   701 2.56 94,893 135
8 Haryana  - - 124 0.45 1,276 10
9 Himachal Pradesh  - - 62 0.23 9,742 157
10 Jharkhand  1   520 1.90 32,635 63
11 Karnataka  1 - 714 2.61 4,82,115 675
12 Kerala  1 - 985 3.60 4,60,486 467
13 Madhya Pradesh  1 - 2,734 9.98 96,817 35
14 Maharashtra*  1 36 3,775 13.78 3,32,636 88
15 Manipur*  1 3 800 2.92 14,258 18
16 Meghalaya  1 - 128 0.47 611 5
17 Mizoram  1 1 47 0.17 1,656 35
18 Nagaland  1 - 370 1.35 9,234 25
19 o disha*  1 - 775 2.83 1,54,318 199
20 Punjab  - 1 9 0.03 95 11
21 r ajasthan  1 1 137 0.50 4,130 30
22 Sikkim  - - 8 0.03 230 29
23 Tamil Nadu 1 12 1,475 5.38 7,61,521 516
24 Telangana  1 - 5,200 18.98 3,64,357 70
25 Tripura  1 - 308 1.12 22,967 75
26 uttar Pradesh 1 23 1,125 4.11 54,521 48
27 uttarakhand  1 1 167 0.61 634 4
28 West Bengal  1 20 1,433 5.23 1,31,578 92
29 A & N Islands  - 1 129 0.47 4,149 32
30 Daman and Diu  - - 19 0.07 3,176 167
31 Lakshadweep  - - 6 0.02 2,910 485
32 Jammu & Kashmir  - 1 6 0.02 162 27
33 Puducherry  1 1 67 0.24 72,162 1077
34 Ladakh - - 1 0.00 21 21
total  24 126 27,391 100 39,57,104 144
(Source: FISHCOPFED Data Bank- Data collected from concerned States/UTS)
Note: *In India, there are 9 r egional Fishery Federations. o disha, Maharashtra and Manipur have 6, 2 and 1 regional fishery 
federations, respectively.
Page 4


60 July 2023
isheries is a sunrise sector in India. 
It has immense economic potential 
in India that has a coastline of over 
8,000 km, an exclusive economic zone 
of over 2 million square km, and with extensive 
freshwater bodies stretching the length and 
breadth of the nation. India is the 3
rd
 largest  
fish-producing country in the world, contributing 
7.93% towards global fish production, and is 
the second largest among the aquaculture  
fish-producing countries globally. The fisheries 
sector plays an important role in the Indian 
F
Economy. It contributes to around one per cent 
of the national gDP. It is moving at a fast pace, 
contributing not only to the national income 
but also to India’s exports, food and nutritional 
security, and employment generation. It provides 
livelihoods to more than 2.8 crore fishers and fish-
farmers. India is endowed with bounties of water 
resources in both the marine and inland sectors 
including brackish and cold water, and it boasts 
a significant population of skilled manpower. The 
country has annual export earnings of over rs 
50,000 crore from the fisheries sector. 
B k mishra The author is holding the charge of MD, National Federation of Fishers Cooperatives Ltd. Delhi and is an expert in the operation 
and governance sphere of fishery cooperatives in India. Email: bimalk1234@hotmail.com
The Fisheries sector is quite diverse with sub-sectors like marine, 
inland, and brackish water, besides cold water and ornamental 
fisheries. With the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation, the 
momentum for the fishery cooperative movement in the country 
picked up in 2021 and since then, they have received priority 
attention and real focus. The role of fishery cooperatives must be 
considered at every level in the changed economic scenario, and they 
should be supported with funds to develop infrastructures and a 
progressive supply and value chain for sustainability. The Government 
of India is committed to uplift the fishery cooperative sector through 
adequate policy and financial support.
FOCUS
Fishery Cooperatives
 a Blue oCeaN For  
eCoNomiC DevelopmeNt
61 July 2023
Fishery Development: Government of india’ s t hrust
To boost India’s economy through the 
fisheries sector, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya 
Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched in 
the year 2019-20 with a total project outlay 
of rs 20,050 crore by the Ministry of Fisheries, 
Animal Husbandry and Dairying. A dedicated  
rs 7,522 crore Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure 
Development Fund (FIDF) was created in the 
year 2018-19. The government also initiated the 
Blue revolution in 2014, boosting not only fish 
production but also infrastructure development in 
the fisheries sector. To make Atmanirbhar Bharat 
successful in the sector, many beneficiary-oriented 
schemes have been introduced, focusing on 
entrepreneurship. The momentum for the fishery 
cooperative movement in the country picked up 
in 2021 with the establishment of the Ministry 
of Cooperation. It was a landmark decision by 
the government of India for strengthening and 
empowering the Cooperatives and their members 
to become drivers for economic development.
Fishery Cooperative movement in india
The fishery cooperative movement in India 
began as early as 1913, when the first fishermen’s 
society was organised under the name of ‘Karla 
Machhimar Cooperative Society’ in Maharashtra. 
over the course of 110 years, the Indian fishery 
cooperative movement has reached all States with 
different tier structures but its full potential is yet to 
be tapped. 
A total of 24 States/uTs each have a State-
level Fishery Federation. only three States have 6 
regional federations. 126 districts have district-level 
fishery federations. In all, there are 27,391 primary 
fishery societies in India with 39.57 lakh fishers as 
members. Per society membership has been an 
average of 144 fishers. Primary fishery societies with 
more than 500 members were found in Puducherry, 
62 July 2023
Table-1: CurrENT STruCTurE oF FISHEr Y CooPEr ATIvES IN INDIA
Sn State / Ut  
number of Societies (level)  
% of primary 
Society to 
total
no. of 
members  
no. of Farmer 
members per 
society
State District primary 
1 Andhra Pradesh  1 13 2,810 10.26 2,86,410 102
2 Arunachal Pradesh  - - 11 0.04 230 21
3 Assam  1 2 520 1.90 90,000 173
4 Bihar  1 5 528 1.93 4,10,007 777
5 Chhattisgarh  1 5 1671 6.10 55,685 33
6 goa  - - 26 0.09 1,503 58
7 gujarat  1   701 2.56 94,893 135
8 Haryana  - - 124 0.45 1,276 10
9 Himachal Pradesh  - - 62 0.23 9,742 157
10 Jharkhand  1   520 1.90 32,635 63
11 Karnataka  1 - 714 2.61 4,82,115 675
12 Kerala  1 - 985 3.60 4,60,486 467
13 Madhya Pradesh  1 - 2,734 9.98 96,817 35
14 Maharashtra*  1 36 3,775 13.78 3,32,636 88
15 Manipur*  1 3 800 2.92 14,258 18
16 Meghalaya  1 - 128 0.47 611 5
17 Mizoram  1 1 47 0.17 1,656 35
18 Nagaland  1 - 370 1.35 9,234 25
19 o disha*  1 - 775 2.83 1,54,318 199
20 Punjab  - 1 9 0.03 95 11
21 r ajasthan  1 1 137 0.50 4,130 30
22 Sikkim  - - 8 0.03 230 29
23 Tamil Nadu 1 12 1,475 5.38 7,61,521 516
24 Telangana  1 - 5,200 18.98 3,64,357 70
25 Tripura  1 - 308 1.12 22,967 75
26 uttar Pradesh 1 23 1,125 4.11 54,521 48
27 uttarakhand  1 1 167 0.61 634 4
28 West Bengal  1 20 1,433 5.23 1,31,578 92
29 A & N Islands  - 1 129 0.47 4,149 32
30 Daman and Diu  - - 19 0.07 3,176 167
31 Lakshadweep  - - 6 0.02 2,910 485
32 Jammu & Kashmir  - 1 6 0.02 162 27
33 Puducherry  1 1 67 0.24 72,162 1077
34 Ladakh - - 1 0.00 21 21
total  24 126 27,391 100 39,57,104 144
(Source: FISHCOPFED Data Bank- Data collected from concerned States/UTS)
Note: *In India, there are 9 r egional Fishery Federations. o disha, Maharashtra and Manipur have 6, 2 and 1 regional fishery 
federations, respectively.
63 July 2023
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and 
Bihar. There were only 10 
States/uTs, Assam, Bihar, 
Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal 
Pradesh, odisha, Tamil Nadu, 
Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, 
Puducherry] where the 
membership per society was 
recorded higher than the 
national average of 144 per 
society (Table 1).
role of Fishery Cooperative 
Federation
The National Federation 
of Fishers’ Cooperatives Ltd. 
(FISHCoPFED) is the apex and 
national level cooperative 
organisation for the 
development of the fishery 
cooperative movement in 
India. r egistered in 1980, the 
federation started its operation 
in 1982 and now has 104 
member institutions all over the country, including 
the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and 
Dairying, government of India, and the National 
Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). 
FISHCoPFED is dedicated to the empowerment 
of fisheries cooperatives in the country. It is a 
member of the International Cooperative Alliance 
and also a member of the International Cooperative 
Fisheries organisation (ICFo) and Network for 
Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia 
and the Pacific (NEDAC). FISHC oPFED is engaged 
in various promotional and welfare activities in 
fisheries sector besides fish 
marketing in several states as 
a retailer and wholesaler for 
the ease of primary fishery 
cooperative societies. This 
in turn provides hurdle-free 
marketing channels and gives 
sellers a better price for their 
produce. 
national Database of 
Fisheries Cooperatives
With the establishment of 
the Ministry of Cooperation, 
fisheries cooperatives have 
received priority attention and 
real focus. A decision has been 
taken under the guidance of the 
country’s first ever Cooperative 
Minister, Amit Shah, to organise 
fishery cooperatives covering 
each panchayat of the country 
to reach a figure of 2 lakh in 
the coming five years. The 
National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) 
and FISHCoPFED have been assigned to speed 
up the work in coordination with the concerned 
State/uT authorities. The fisheries sector is quite 
diverse with sub-sectors like marine, inland, and 
brackish water, besides cold water and ornamental 
fisheries. Fisherwomen also play a vital role in fish 
processing and marketing and are quite active in 
fishery cooperatives; besides, there are exclusive 
fisherwomen cooperative societies. The database 
can help us identify the gaps in the sector, and 
efforts will be made to bridge the gaps.
To boost India’s economy 
through the fisheries 
sector , the Pradhan 
Mantri Matsya Sampada 
Yojana was launched with 
a total project outlay of 
Rs 20,050 crore by the 
Ministry of Fisheries, 
Animal Husbandry  
and Dairying. The 
Government also initiated 
the Blue Revolution 
in 2014, boosting not 
only fish production 
but also infrastructure 
development in the 
fisheries sector .
Page 5


60 July 2023
isheries is a sunrise sector in India. 
It has immense economic potential 
in India that has a coastline of over 
8,000 km, an exclusive economic zone 
of over 2 million square km, and with extensive 
freshwater bodies stretching the length and 
breadth of the nation. India is the 3
rd
 largest  
fish-producing country in the world, contributing 
7.93% towards global fish production, and is 
the second largest among the aquaculture  
fish-producing countries globally. The fisheries 
sector plays an important role in the Indian 
F
Economy. It contributes to around one per cent 
of the national gDP. It is moving at a fast pace, 
contributing not only to the national income 
but also to India’s exports, food and nutritional 
security, and employment generation. It provides 
livelihoods to more than 2.8 crore fishers and fish-
farmers. India is endowed with bounties of water 
resources in both the marine and inland sectors 
including brackish and cold water, and it boasts 
a significant population of skilled manpower. The 
country has annual export earnings of over rs 
50,000 crore from the fisheries sector. 
B k mishra The author is holding the charge of MD, National Federation of Fishers Cooperatives Ltd. Delhi and is an expert in the operation 
and governance sphere of fishery cooperatives in India. Email: bimalk1234@hotmail.com
The Fisheries sector is quite diverse with sub-sectors like marine, 
inland, and brackish water, besides cold water and ornamental 
fisheries. With the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation, the 
momentum for the fishery cooperative movement in the country 
picked up in 2021 and since then, they have received priority 
attention and real focus. The role of fishery cooperatives must be 
considered at every level in the changed economic scenario, and they 
should be supported with funds to develop infrastructures and a 
progressive supply and value chain for sustainability. The Government 
of India is committed to uplift the fishery cooperative sector through 
adequate policy and financial support.
FOCUS
Fishery Cooperatives
 a Blue oCeaN For  
eCoNomiC DevelopmeNt
61 July 2023
Fishery Development: Government of india’ s t hrust
To boost India’s economy through the 
fisheries sector, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya 
Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched in 
the year 2019-20 with a total project outlay 
of rs 20,050 crore by the Ministry of Fisheries, 
Animal Husbandry and Dairying. A dedicated  
rs 7,522 crore Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure 
Development Fund (FIDF) was created in the 
year 2018-19. The government also initiated the 
Blue revolution in 2014, boosting not only fish 
production but also infrastructure development in 
the fisheries sector. To make Atmanirbhar Bharat 
successful in the sector, many beneficiary-oriented 
schemes have been introduced, focusing on 
entrepreneurship. The momentum for the fishery 
cooperative movement in the country picked up 
in 2021 with the establishment of the Ministry 
of Cooperation. It was a landmark decision by 
the government of India for strengthening and 
empowering the Cooperatives and their members 
to become drivers for economic development.
Fishery Cooperative movement in india
The fishery cooperative movement in India 
began as early as 1913, when the first fishermen’s 
society was organised under the name of ‘Karla 
Machhimar Cooperative Society’ in Maharashtra. 
over the course of 110 years, the Indian fishery 
cooperative movement has reached all States with 
different tier structures but its full potential is yet to 
be tapped. 
A total of 24 States/uTs each have a State-
level Fishery Federation. only three States have 6 
regional federations. 126 districts have district-level 
fishery federations. In all, there are 27,391 primary 
fishery societies in India with 39.57 lakh fishers as 
members. Per society membership has been an 
average of 144 fishers. Primary fishery societies with 
more than 500 members were found in Puducherry, 
62 July 2023
Table-1: CurrENT STruCTurE oF FISHEr Y CooPEr ATIvES IN INDIA
Sn State / Ut  
number of Societies (level)  
% of primary 
Society to 
total
no. of 
members  
no. of Farmer 
members per 
society
State District primary 
1 Andhra Pradesh  1 13 2,810 10.26 2,86,410 102
2 Arunachal Pradesh  - - 11 0.04 230 21
3 Assam  1 2 520 1.90 90,000 173
4 Bihar  1 5 528 1.93 4,10,007 777
5 Chhattisgarh  1 5 1671 6.10 55,685 33
6 goa  - - 26 0.09 1,503 58
7 gujarat  1   701 2.56 94,893 135
8 Haryana  - - 124 0.45 1,276 10
9 Himachal Pradesh  - - 62 0.23 9,742 157
10 Jharkhand  1   520 1.90 32,635 63
11 Karnataka  1 - 714 2.61 4,82,115 675
12 Kerala  1 - 985 3.60 4,60,486 467
13 Madhya Pradesh  1 - 2,734 9.98 96,817 35
14 Maharashtra*  1 36 3,775 13.78 3,32,636 88
15 Manipur*  1 3 800 2.92 14,258 18
16 Meghalaya  1 - 128 0.47 611 5
17 Mizoram  1 1 47 0.17 1,656 35
18 Nagaland  1 - 370 1.35 9,234 25
19 o disha*  1 - 775 2.83 1,54,318 199
20 Punjab  - 1 9 0.03 95 11
21 r ajasthan  1 1 137 0.50 4,130 30
22 Sikkim  - - 8 0.03 230 29
23 Tamil Nadu 1 12 1,475 5.38 7,61,521 516
24 Telangana  1 - 5,200 18.98 3,64,357 70
25 Tripura  1 - 308 1.12 22,967 75
26 uttar Pradesh 1 23 1,125 4.11 54,521 48
27 uttarakhand  1 1 167 0.61 634 4
28 West Bengal  1 20 1,433 5.23 1,31,578 92
29 A & N Islands  - 1 129 0.47 4,149 32
30 Daman and Diu  - - 19 0.07 3,176 167
31 Lakshadweep  - - 6 0.02 2,910 485
32 Jammu & Kashmir  - 1 6 0.02 162 27
33 Puducherry  1 1 67 0.24 72,162 1077
34 Ladakh - - 1 0.00 21 21
total  24 126 27,391 100 39,57,104 144
(Source: FISHCOPFED Data Bank- Data collected from concerned States/UTS)
Note: *In India, there are 9 r egional Fishery Federations. o disha, Maharashtra and Manipur have 6, 2 and 1 regional fishery 
federations, respectively.
63 July 2023
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and 
Bihar. There were only 10 
States/uTs, Assam, Bihar, 
Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal 
Pradesh, odisha, Tamil Nadu, 
Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, 
Puducherry] where the 
membership per society was 
recorded higher than the 
national average of 144 per 
society (Table 1).
role of Fishery Cooperative 
Federation
The National Federation 
of Fishers’ Cooperatives Ltd. 
(FISHCoPFED) is the apex and 
national level cooperative 
organisation for the 
development of the fishery 
cooperative movement in 
India. r egistered in 1980, the 
federation started its operation 
in 1982 and now has 104 
member institutions all over the country, including 
the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and 
Dairying, government of India, and the National 
Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). 
FISHCoPFED is dedicated to the empowerment 
of fisheries cooperatives in the country. It is a 
member of the International Cooperative Alliance 
and also a member of the International Cooperative 
Fisheries organisation (ICFo) and Network for 
Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia 
and the Pacific (NEDAC). FISHC oPFED is engaged 
in various promotional and welfare activities in 
fisheries sector besides fish 
marketing in several states as 
a retailer and wholesaler for 
the ease of primary fishery 
cooperative societies. This 
in turn provides hurdle-free 
marketing channels and gives 
sellers a better price for their 
produce. 
national Database of 
Fisheries Cooperatives
With the establishment of 
the Ministry of Cooperation, 
fisheries cooperatives have 
received priority attention and 
real focus. A decision has been 
taken under the guidance of the 
country’s first ever Cooperative 
Minister, Amit Shah, to organise 
fishery cooperatives covering 
each panchayat of the country 
to reach a figure of 2 lakh in 
the coming five years. The 
National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) 
and FISHCoPFED have been assigned to speed 
up the work in coordination with the concerned 
State/uT authorities. The fisheries sector is quite 
diverse with sub-sectors like marine, inland, and 
brackish water, besides cold water and ornamental 
fisheries. Fisherwomen also play a vital role in fish 
processing and marketing and are quite active in 
fishery cooperatives; besides, there are exclusive 
fisherwomen cooperative societies. The database 
can help us identify the gaps in the sector, and 
efforts will be made to bridge the gaps.
To boost India’s economy 
through the fisheries 
sector , the Pradhan 
Mantri Matsya Sampada 
Yojana was launched with 
a total project outlay of 
Rs 20,050 crore by the 
Ministry of Fisheries, 
Animal Husbandry  
and Dairying. The 
Government also initiated 
the Blue Revolution 
in 2014, boosting not 
only fish production 
but also infrastructure 
development in the 
fisheries sector .
64 July 2023
Primary societies in the fisheries sector have 
excelled in a few states, viz., Kerala and Maharashtra. 
These societies need to be professionally managed 
with a paid Secretary and automation in line with 
PACS. Mapping of water bodies and production 
units is needed to strengthen the functioning of the 
fisheries cooperatives with optimal membership. 
Networking and restructuring of all the fisheries 
cooperatives are a must, with integration with the 
upper tiers under the aegis of FISHCoPFED.
Strengthening of national Federation
FISHCoPFED has provided social security to poor 
fishermen through accidental insurance during the 
period 1982-2020. They are pioneers in organising 
training programmes for fishermen at the grassroot 
level or through online awareness creation about 
PMMSY and Cooperative principles, besides 
appropriate capacity building. The federation has 
been identified as an End Implementing Agency 
(EIA) by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry 
and Dairying, g overnment of India. The federation is 
to be adequately strengthened with equity support 
and funds under various schemes, such as training 
and social-security programmes, for the sustainable 
development of the fishery cooperative sector. The 
federation can take the lead in organising FFPos in 
the fisheries cooperative sector.
There is a need to set up the Fisheries 
Cooperative Management Institute in the country. 
Kausalyaganga at Bhubaneswar is a recognised 
fisheries hub in the country where FISHC oPFED 
has a training centre that could be upgraded 
as a National Institute of Fisheries Cooperatives 
Management with regional networks for skill 
development in the fisheries cooperative sector in 
a planned but phased manner.
atmanirbhar Bharat a bhiyaan
As rightly said by the Prime Minister, “When 
India speaks of becoming self-reliant, it doesn’t 
advocate a self-centered system.” In India’s self-
reliance; there is a concern for the whole world’s 
happiness, cooperation, and peace. He has 
 
Fishery Success Stories
S
ome of the state federations are doing excellent 
work in the fisheries field, such as Matsyafed in 
Kerala, gujarat Fisheries Central Cooperative Association 
(gFCCA) in gujarat, and Benfish in West Bengal, besides 
Maharashtra State Federation, Tamil Nadu State 
Federation, MP State Federation, and AP State Federation. 
o ther State federations are also progressing well. Most 
of these cooperatives have excelled in production, 
marketing, and providing services to members. There 
is a need to focus on the working of the district-level 
federations and define their role more proactively to guide the primary fishery cooperative societies.
matsyafed – Kerala
A progressive state level federation registered in 1984, the federation has had a 668 primary 
fishery cooperative societies as members. The federation has total turnover of more than rs 300 Crore 
continuously for the last three years and has excelled in domestic sales and exports of fish as well. It has 
a chain of fish retail outlets in the state of Kerala and having own net-making and processing plant. The 
federation has played an active role in empowering the primary fisheries cooperatives through training 
and social security measures.
Gujarat Fisheries Central Cooperative a ssociation (GFCCa )
r egistered in 1956, the gFCCA is one of the oldest state federations, with 308 primary fisheries 
cooperative societies as members. The federation has the highest turnover of rs 544.23 crore in the years 
2021-22. It has a chain of diesel outlets to provide fuel to mechanised fishing boats, besides successful 
fish retail outlets in Delhi. It has strengthened the fisheries cooperatives in the state.
Source: FISHCOPFED