NFF Slams Union Budget 2025-26 for Ignoring Small-Scale Fishers
New Delhi, February 12, 2025: The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) has strongly criticized Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for failing to allocate any benefits for small-scale fishers in the Union Budget 2025-26. NFF General Secretary Olencio Simoes stated that the budget has neglected the concerns of traditional fishers, shifting focus from marine fisheries to aquaculture and non-fishers.
Simoes pointed out that the only fisheries-related provisions in the budget were a reduction in the basic customs duty (BCD) on frozen fish paste (surimi) from 30% to 5% and a reduction in BCD on fish hydrolysate for manufacturing fish and shrimp feeds from 15% to 5%. He criticized the government for prioritizing industrial aquaculture while ignoring the urgent needs of small-scale fishers.
NFF has warned that unless small-scale fishers are included in decision-making, the government’s push for “sustainable harnessing” of fisheries in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and High Seas could lead to their displacement. The organization highlighted that nearly 4 million tonnes of fish are being harvested in an unregulated manner, with widespread juvenile fishing. Without proper regulations within 12 nautical miles, industrial fishing in the high seas could worsen the crisis for traditional fishers.
The forum also raised concerns about security issues faced by fishers, including arrests by the Sri Lankan and Pakistani navies and illegal fishing by Chinese vessels within India’s EEZ. NFF emphasized that the depletion of fish stocks and the use of destructive fishing techniques such as bull trawling and LED light fishing are forcing fishers to venture deeper into the ocean. To sustain their livelihoods, the government must urgently increase subsidies for diesel, kerosene, and petrol, Simoes stated.
NFF announced that it will hold a three-day general body meeting in Alibag, Maharashtra, from February 13 to 16. Representatives from seven states will participate to discuss the pressing challenges faced by fishers across the country.
