Sat Feb 01 19:06:14 IST 2025: ## Fishermen’s Union Condemns Union Budget’s Fisheries Privatization Plan
**Kochi, February 1, 2025** – The Union Budget 2025-26’s allocation of ₹25,000 crore for the fisheries sector has been met with sharp criticism from the Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi, an independent fishermen’s union. President Charles George denounced the plan as a pathway to complete privatization, arguing that the budget fails to account for the ₹20,000 crore previously allocated under the PM Matsya Sambadak Yojana.
George further criticized the budget’s rejection of modernization proposals for the labor-intensive fisheries sector. He highlighted the disparity between the estimated sustainable fishing capacity of 53.1 lakh tonnes (requiring 97,000 vessels) and the current operational fleet of 315,000 vessels. He claims the government’s focus on large-scale deep-sea fishing operations under the guise of the Blue Economy program will displace traditional fishermen and primarily benefit the shipbuilding industry. A previous government attempt to allow more large vessels was withdrawn after protests, George added. The union believes the budget prioritizes corporate interests over the livelihoods of traditional fishermen.
First Piper 