State forms jumbo panel to revamp fisheries devpt policy

 

 

Maharashtra Government has set up a jumbo committee to submit recommendations for formulating a new Fisheries Development policy with a view to widen the scope for deepening the involvement of co-operative sector. The committee is tasked with framing an improved policy for the registration of multipurpose co-operative societies on reservoirs and suggesting new rules for registration. It has been given a time period of two months for submitting the report After receipt of the report, a four member committee headed by Maharashtra Minister for Fisheries Development, will take final decision. The three members on it will be Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Commissioner, Fisheries, and Managing Director, Maharashtra Fisheries Development Board.

 

To put it simple, the committee is tasked with finding a way out of deadlock over granting right of fisheries to societies registered under Agricultural Department on the lakes owned by Department of Fisheries. The 30-member committee will study aspects for aligning the State’s policy with aims listed in the Central Government’s Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. The committee came into being after Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench struck down State Government decision about bifurcating lakes to allow multiple co-operative societies to carrying out commercial fisheries operation. Also the decision of State to allow Agriculture Marketing Companies to carry out fisheries operation on the lakes was also challenged and same was struck down by the High Court bench of Justice Bhushan Dharmadhikari and Justice Z A Haq.

 

The notification by Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Department of Fisheries outlined the task to the Committee, it is dominated mostly by persons active in co-operative sector to sort out the shortcoming in the 2019 policy framed by State Government. The said policy was challenged by Mannu Datta, an activist who is against intrusion of co-operative societies registered with Department of Agriculture in fisheries sector, before High Court and his contention was upheld leading to scrapping of old policy. While notifying the formation of the committee, the State outlined the need for submission of a comprehensive policy to State for deepening the co-operative sector involvement in the fisheries business with an intention of increasing the net income of traditional fishermen.

 

The committee will seek view of all stakeholders in a bid to form a middle ground as present policy bats for one society of fishermen in one lake and limits competition due to clause of no second society within 10 km distance and excluding societies outside the preview of lake area (basically a tehsil) while allotting license for fishery. State Government has stayed the implementation of old policy and intended to broaden the fisheries development by having board based rules for which new policy is needed to be prepared and hence the committee is formed. Hence, the GR was issued for appointing the committee on June 16, 2023. The committee has been given list of issues to discuss and find a way out, first how to ensure that 292 societies can be provided fisheries licence as bye-laws of Maharashtra State Co-operative Act, 1960, pose a hinder.

 

Similarly, the GR says due to 10 km rule about 639 lakes have not seen any development of commercial fisheries.

Also, rules be framed to grant fishing right to persons whose land is acquired for development of lake, removing discrepancy about term Kriyasheel and Sakriya (meaning of both in English is active) but in Marathi its differs a bit. Also the committee is instructed to take a look as how to ensure more than one society the fishing in lakes having spread of 500 Ha and above, also suggests modalities for allowing multiple societies fishing right in 17,000 lakes, removing discrepancy in Multipurpose Co-operative Society and Reservoir Fisheries Co-operative Society.

Apart from that rules should be framed to allow membership to non-fishermen, under technical expertise and

also fixing their numbers in the society. Specifying different between Co-operative Society and Co-operative Union, rules for scope of a fishermen society in case a lake spread is over two districts. The rule about10 km distance should be taken a re-look and if needed the distance must be increased.