CHENNAI, 9 October 2026: Climate risks, safety at sea, social protection and access to marine resources were among the key concerns raised by fishing communities during consultations in Tamil Nadu for India’s proposed National Plan of Action for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF).
A stakeholder consultation held in Thoothukudi brought together fishers and other representatives from Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram districts to discuss regional priorities for the proposed national framework. The meeting was inaugurated by Dr. S. A. Shanmugam, dean of the Fisheries College and Research Institute, Thoothukudi.
Participants highlighted challenges associated with climate change, unpredictable weather conditions and safety at sea, alongside the need to protect traditional fishing rights and strengthen social security for fishing households.
Traditional Fishing Rights and Livelihood Security
The consultation generated recommendations covering the protection of traditional tenure rights, stronger social protection measures, greater participation by fishing communities in marine resource management and support for small-scale fishers’ livelihoods.
Women fishworkers also contributed to the discussions, bringing perspectives on post-harvest activities, fish marketing and coastal livelihoods.
The consultation aimed to incorporate region-specific concerns into the national planning process, with an emphasis on measures to improve the resilience and long-term sustainability of small-scale fisheries.
“For Tamil Nadu’s coastal communities, these issues are closely linked to livelihood security, the continuity of traditional fishing practices and the ability of fishing households to cope with environmental and economic uncertainties,” said Dr. P. Krishnan, director of the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO).
Seven Districts to Participate in Chennai Consultation
A follow-up meeting involving fisher associations and other stakeholders from Tiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam districts is scheduled for October 16 in Chennai.
The consultations are intended to gather perspectives from fishing communities and other fisheries-dependent groups to identify measures for protecting livelihoods and improving the sustainability of the sector.
The wider consultation process covers interconnected issues, including access to fisheries resources, tenure rights, social development, employment, decent working conditions, value chains, post-harvest activities, trade, gender equality, disaster risk and climate change.
Krishnan said the proposed NPOA-SSF would address these areas, including sustainable fisheries management, access to resources, decent work and gender equality.
Draft Plan Scheduled for Public Consultation in November
The National Task Force constituted to develop the plan is scheduled to incorporate consultation findings into a draft in early November. The draft is scheduled to be released for public consultation on November 21, 2026, followed by further review, finalisation and notification.
The community consultations in Tamil Nadu are being organised by the Federation of Indian Fisher Organizations (FIFO) and Participatory Learning Action Network and Training (PLANT) Trust, in collaboration with the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), the National Federation of Small-Scale Fish Workers (NFSF) and the National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF), with technical support from BOBP-IGO.
The NPOA-SSF is being developed in line with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries. The guidelines provide an international framework addressing the rights, livelihoods and sustainable development of small-scale fishing communities.
The Tamil Nadu consultations form part of the broader effort to bring fishers’ priorities into the proposed national plan, with climate resilience, social protection, resource access and sustainable fisheries management among the issues under consideration.
