The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying provided details of marine fisheries infrastructure and fishermen welfare initiatives in Odisha through a Rajya Sabha response. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with total outlay of ₹20,750 crore is being implemented nationwide since 2020-21, with ₹1086.51 crore approved for Odisha specifically, including central share of ₹416.84 crore for fisheries development infrastructure. A separate approval of ₹108.91 crore was granted for modernizing Paradip Fishing Harbour under PMMSY's Central Sector component.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) provides interest subvention up to 3% on admissible project cost, with 13 projects approved in Odisha totaling ₹784.32 crore project cost and ₹286.39 crore interest subvention-eligible amount. Government projects account for ₹740.92 crore while private projects comprise ₹43.4 crore, including shrimp processing expansion and aquaculture facilities.
PMMSY provides livelihood and nutritional support to BPL traditional marine fisher families during annual fishing ban period, along with accidental insurance, fishing equipment acquisition, vessel upgrades, mariculture activities, and training programs. The Odisha government's Mukhyamantri Maschyajibi Kalyan Yojana provides ₹15,000 livelihood assistance per eligible marine fisherman family during November 1 to May 31 turtle conservation fishing ban.
Infrastructure development includes 24 ice plants & cold storage (50 MT), 5 ice plant modernizations, 24 fish kiosks, 10 refrigerated vehicles, 175 insulated vehicles, 700 motorcycles for fish marketing, and 240 autos with ice boxes, totaling 1,178 units created/upgraded under PMMSY.
FIDF projects include fishing harbors, landing centers at various locations (Humma, Kalupadaghat, Kasia, Sorana, Chaumuhani, Keshpur), Gopalpur Fishing Harbour (₹545.50 crore), Odisha Blue Economy Hub (₹50.57 crore), fish markets, and shrimp processing/hatching facilities.
District-wise fund utilization from 2020-21 to 2025-26 shows total releases of ₹39.62 crore (2020-21), ₹34.16 crore (2021-22), ₹98.15 crore (2022-23), ₹91.08 crore (2023-24), ₹56.21 crore (2024-25), and ₹43.64 crore (2025-26). Major receiving districts include Sambalpur (₹207.18 crore in 2025-26), Puri, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, and Balasore.
The state government promotes deep-sea fishing through financial assistance, launched State Deep Sea Fishing Mission (2026-2036), implements Vessel Monitoring Systems, promotes sustainable practices including Turtle Excluder Devices, and provides 30-35% subsidy (up to ₹3.5-4.0 crore) for seafood processing units under Promotion of Aquaculture and Shrimp Export Cell. A regulatory framework for white-leg shrimp culture in inland saline waters was notified on July 13, 2026.