Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)

The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana is the Department of Fisheries' flagship scheme for a "Blue Revolution" — sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture.

Size and period

• Total investment: ₹20,050 crore, of which ₹12,340 crore is for beneficiary-oriented activities — that is, projects that an individual, group or enterprise applies for
• Period: FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 (five years)

What it aims to do

• Harness fisheries potential sustainably and equitably
• Raise fish production and productivity
• Modernise the value chain and post-harvest management
• Double the income of fishers and fish farmers and create employment
• Increase the sector's contribution to agricultural GVA and to exports
• Provide social, physical and economic security for fishers
• Strengthen fisheries management and regulation

How it is structured

There are two parts: a Central Sector Scheme (CS), funded entirely by the Centre, and a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) shared with the states. The CSS is where most individual beneficiaries apply, and it is divided into three heads, described under benefits below.

Assistance rate — this is the key figure

Worked example from the official handbook: a freshwater finfish hatchery has a unit cost of ₹25 lakh. A general beneficiary gets ₹10 lakh; an SC, ST or woman beneficiary gets ₹15 lakh. You fund the balance.

How the government's share is split:

What you can build or buy

1. Enhancement of production and productivity

• Hatcheries, rearing ponds and grow-out ponds
• Inputs for aquaculture
• Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and biofloc units
• Cage culture
• Seaweed and bivalve culture
• Ornamental and recreational fisheries

2. Infrastructure and post-harvest management

• Cold storage and ice plants
• Refrigerated and insulated vehicles
• Fish feed mills
• Fish markets and kiosks
• Value-addition units
• E-trading platforms
• Deep-sea fishing vessels
• Disease diagnostic laboratories

3. Fisheries management and regulatory framework

• Communication and tracking devices for vessels
• Safety kits for fishers
• Boats and nets for traditional fishers
• Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) devices
• Extension services
• Insurance for vessels and for fishers
• Livelihood and nutritional support during the fishing ban period — this is a direct benefit for marine fishers and is worth asking about specifically

Eligible beneficiaries are:

• Fishers, fish farmers, fish workers and fish vendors
• Fisheries development corporations
• Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Joint Liability Groups (JLGs)
• Cooperatives and their federations
• Entrepreneurs and private firms
• Fish Farmers Producer Organisations and Companies (FFPOs / FPCs)
• SCs, STs, women and differently abled persons — who receive the higher 60% assistance rate
• State and Union Territory governments and their entities, and central government entities

If you are SC, ST or a woman beneficiary, make sure your category is recorded on the application. It is the difference between 40% and 60% of the project cost.

• Assistance is a share of the approved unit cost, not of what you actually spend. A project built above the unit cost means the excess is entirely yours.
• The scheme period recorded in the official handbook runs to FY 2024-25. Confirm the current period and whether your activity is still open with your District Fisheries Officer before planning.
• Intensive systems such as RAS and biofloc are technically demanding and have high running costs for power, feed and aeration. Ask your District Fisheries Officer for the running-cost assumptions and visit a working unit before committing — a subsidy on the capital cost does not help with monthly electricity.
• Group-only and agency-only activities exist within the scheme; not every component is open to an individual.

How to apply — Centrally Sponsored Scheme (most individual beneficiaries)

1. Prepare a self-contained proposal or Detailed Project Report (DPR) for your activity, as set out in the Operational Guidelines.
2. Submit it to the District Fisheries Officer — either of your home district, or of the district where you intend to carry out the activity.
3. Record your category (General / SC / ST / Woman) on the application, since it decides whether you get 40% or 60%.

How to apply — Central Sector Scheme

Proposals go to the Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Government of India, Room No. 221, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi 110001 (secy-fisheries@gov.in).

Queries

The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad, runs a toll-free number: 1800-425-1660. The detailed Operational Guidelines dated 24 June 2020 are on the Department of Fisheries and NFDB websites.

Department of Fisheries official website · NFDB official website

• Detailed Project Report or self-contained proposal
• Land or water-body ownership or lease document for the project site
• Identity and address proof
• Caste certificate or proof of category, where claiming the 60% rate
• Registration documents for an SHG, cooperative, FFPO or company
• Bank account details and, where the balance is being financed, a bank appraisal