Kerala Consultation Held to Incorporate Fishers’ Views into National Action Plan for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries

Kochi: A stakeholder consultation was held at the ICAR–Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi, on 10 October 2026, as part of the ongoing process to formulate India’s National Plan of Action for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF). The consultation aimed to incorporate the views, concerns and priorities of fishing communities into the national action plan.

The consultation forms part of the nationwide initiative spearheaded by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, to develop a participatory action plan for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries. The Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) is facilitating and coordinating the consultation process.

The initiative seeks to ensure that the proposed national plan reflects the ground-level realities of fishing communities. Coastal States and Union Territories are organizing stakeholder consultations led by community based organization and feedback from fishing communities will be consolidated by the National Task Force to draft the NPOA-SSF. More than 20 one-day consultations are scheduled across the eastern and western coasts and island territories.

The proposed action plan will address key issues affecting small-scale fishing communities, including access to fisheries resources, sustainable fisheries management, decent work, gender equality, climate change and disaster risk management. The consultation brought together perspectives from various sections of the fisheries sector, including fishers, crew and share workers, migrant fish workers, fish vendors, dry-fish processors, women and young people.

The initiative is being developed in line with the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and India’s National Policy on Marine Fisheries, 2017.

According to the Department of Fisheries, the livelihoods of approximately 30 million people in India are linked to fisheries and allied activities, which also make a significant contribution to the country’s food and nutritional security.

The inputs gathered through the consultation will contribute to the formulation of the NPOA-SSF, with the objective of developing an action-oriented framework that addresses the needs and priorities of small-scale fishing communities.

The draft NPOA-SSF is targeted for release on World Fisheries Day, 21 November 2026, followed by public review, finalisation and official notification in 2027.

The inaugural session was addressed by Dr. George Ninan, Director, ICAR-CIFT; Dr. Nikita Gopal, Head, Extension Information and Statistics Division, ICAR-CIFT; and Mr. Vincent Jain Joseph, President and CEO of the Federation of Indian Fisher Organizations (FIFO).

Around 50 participants representing various sectors of the fisheries sector attended the programme and shared their views, concerns and suggestions on issues affecting small-scale fishing communities.

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