Digital Registration To Provide Transparency
National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP), which was recently introduced, has a target to register over three crore people involved in fishing and fisheries business to provide direct help to them for maintaining the transparency in the system. BK Behera, Chief Executive of National Fisheries Development Board, told ETV Bharat, “As of now over 25 lakh fishermen, women and other people related to this business including traders, suppliers, transporters, labourers, and fish food and medicine providers have registered themselves in NFDP mobile application to avail direct benefits given by the government like performance-based incentives, aquaculture insurance, facilitate institutional credit, claim application for eligible financial incentives and strengthening of fisheries co-operatives, and fisheries’ traceability systems.” A Matsya Setu Mobile Application-a virtual learning process for disseminating various technologies and methods is also launched by the Department of Fisheries to boost the fisheries sector.
The ministry introduced NFDP under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi-Sah Yojana’ (PM-MKSSY) with aims at formalisation of the Indian fisheries and aquaculture sector through creation of work-based digital identity and the database for all stakeholders in the fisheries sector. NFDP also serves as a ‘one-stop’ solution for access to institutional credit, strengthening of fisheries co-operatives, incentivising aquaculture insurance, performance-based incentives, fisheries’ traceability systems and training and capacity building. This offers provisions under Component 1A for enhancing financial inclusion by facilitating access to institutional credit for fish workers/enterprises. Under the NFDP, the Credit facilitation module has been developed and made live. The beneficiary can login to the NFDP portal and avail the benefit. According to the government information, it has taken step to formalise the fisheries sector and supporting fisheries micro and small enterprises with an investment of over Rs 6000 crores over a period of next four years from FY 2023-24 to 2026-27 in all States and Union Territories. In a bid to formalise the unorganised fisheries sector by creating work based identities for fishers, fish farmers, vendors, processors and other stakeholders engaged in the fisheries’ sector under a NFDP for improved service delivery, as per department information. In order to mitigate risks of crop loss, the government will facilitate creation of appropriate aquaculture insurance products through insurance companies and target to cover at least one lakh hectare of aquaculture farms during the project period.
What fisheries department says:
“NFDP is to bring transparency in the system as soon as a person fills the form then it will be scrutinised if it finds correct then benefits will be transferred to him/her. The platform has already been made functional to discriminate the information and provide benefits but people have to get registered themselves first then they will be able to receive such facilities,” said BK Behera. “The fisherman can generate a digital ID after registering NFDP which helps them to avail government benefits directly. They can get training, loans, and subsidies through registering themselves. Some fishermen are facing difficulties to register them with NFDP as they are not smart phone user friendly and educated enough to fill the form directly,” said Arjun Parmar, a fisheries department employee.
What fishermen say:
“This system is better for fishermen’s livelihood as they can get subsidies and other benefits after registration. I don’t receive any benefits from NFDP but hope in future it will help me,” said Sunil Vysya, a fisherman. “Unskilled fisherman can get training to deal with new edged technologies which helps fishermen a lot for better fishing business. Women can also get training in food processing and value supply chain in this sector. The digital data is very helpful for us. In case of any incident, the government will provide help to us after verifying the data,” said Umang Naran Bhai, another fisherman.
As the ministry says:
In collaboration with State and UT Fisheries Departments, NFDB, and Common Service Centers will organise camps in key fisheries areas and potential areas to expedite the registration process, enhancing approval rates, and encouraging eligible stakeholders to avail themselves of the numerous benefits including credit facilitation, aquaculture insurance, and performance grants. Additionally, women beneficiaries will be provided an additional incentive of 10 percent of the incentive payable, and the benefits of ‘one time incentive’ will be provided for aquaculture insurance purchased for one crop only one crop cycle.
As per Parliament data:
The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has been promoting technological advancements in the fisheries sector, by providing funds for the promotion of R&D for sustainable fishing practices, innovative aquaculture technologies and improved fish breeding techniques, biofloc and Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS), pen, and cage culture to enhance post-harvest management and value addition, by adopting the modern technology in data-driven solutions for fisheries management, including the development of digital tools for tracking fish stocks and enhancing fish farming practices, equipping the fish farmers and fisheries entrepreneurs with the latest technological advancements in aquaculture and fisheries management. The ministry is taking proactive steps to encourage women entrepreneurs to become an integral part of the fisheries startup ecosystem to create a more inclusive and gender-responsive fisheries ecosystem, ensuring equal opportunities for women entrepreneurs across India.