When the sea is closed, a small-scale fisher’s income stops on the spot. There is no paid leave, no salary to fall back on — just the days the boat stays ashore. That simple fact drove a one-day consultation in Sri Vijaya Puram on 30 October 2026, where 40 small-scale fishers from ten fishing villages across South Andaman put their demands on record: compensation for every household hit by fishing bans and cyclones, legal recognition of their rights over nearshore waters, and safe markets for the women who sell the catch.
The meeting, held at TSG Emerald Hotel, Sri Vijaya Puram, was facilitated by Pradeep Chatterjee, President of the National Federation of Small-scale Fishworkers (NFSF), with support from the Dakshin Foundation team, the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) and the Department of Fisheries. It is part of the nationwide process of drafting India’s National Plan of Action for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF Marine) — and it matters because, for the first time, the fishers themselves are writing into the plan, village by village.
The images in this post are illustrations. All consultation details, demands and figures below are taken from the Nicobar Times report of 2 November 2026 on the South Andaman consultation, cross-checked against our earlier coverage of the national NPOA-SSF process.
South Andaman consultation at a glance
| Detail | What is confirmed |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | 30 October 2026, TSG Emerald Hotel, Sri Vijaya Puram |
| Participants | 40 people from ten fishing villages across South Andaman |
| Who was in the room | Small-scale fishers, women fish vendors, traders and migrant workers |
| Facilitated by | Pradeep Chatterjee, President, National Federation of Small-scale Fishworkers (NFSF) |
| Supported by | Dakshin Foundation, BOBP-IGO and the Department of Fisheries |
| Purpose | Feed island fishers’ demands into the draft National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF Marine) |
| Earlier Andaman round | Diglipur, 13 October 2026, for fishers from North and Middle Andaman |
The six demands South Andaman fishers put on record
The consultation was organised around the themes of the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries — the SSF Guidelines — which argue for a bottom-up approach: protect the fish, but also protect the people who depend on them. Here is what the South Andaman participants asked for, demand by demand.
| Demand | What the fishers said |
|---|---|
| 1. Pay for ban and cyclone days | Compensation for ALL small-scale fishing households during seasonal fishing bans and cyclonic weather, to sustain families through lean periods |
| 2. Raise the lean-period compensation | Increase the existing compensation of Rs. 3,000 per household per year during lean fishing periods |
| 3. Widen who qualifies | Include women fishers and non-BPL small-scale fishing families in compensation schemes |
| 4. Protect nearshore waters | Legal recognition of small-scale fishers’ rights to access, use and protect marine waters and fish resources, especially nearshore grounds |
| 5. Keep mechanised boats out of small-scale grounds | Stricter enforcement of the separation of fishing grounds between small-scale fishers and mechanised boats, as provided under the Andaman and Nicobar Marine Fishing Regulation |
| 6. Safe markets for women vendors | Safe market spaces with basic facilities — drinking water and toilets — for women fish vendors, whose needs existing schemes do not adequately address |
Why the Rs. 3,000 figure matters — and what it is not
Read the compensation demand carefully, because it is easy to misread. The Rs. 3,000 per household per year is the existing lean-period compensation that participants referred to — and they said it is not enough. They asked for it to be increased, and for its coverage to be widened to women fishers and non-BPL families who are currently left out.
Nothing in the consultation report announces a new amount, a new scheme, or a start date. These are fishers’ demands going into a draft national plan, not a government announcement. Any post that tells you a higher figure has already been approved would be inventing policy. The honest position today is: the demand is on record, the plan is still being drafted, and the test will be what survives into the final NPOA-SSF.
The same honesty applies to the other demands. Legal recognition of nearshore rights, stricter separation of fishing grounds, and safe markets for women vendors are all things the fishers asked for — they are not yet law or scheme. What the consultation does is put them on the official record, through a process the Ministry of Fisheries itself set up.
Two threats the fishers named that rarely make headlines
Beyond bans and compensation, participants raised two problems that show how exposed island fishers are. First, a rapid decline in nearshore fish stocks, which they said has severely affected small-scale livelihoods in recent years — the same nearshore waters they are asking to have legally recognised as theirs. Second, crocodile attacks, identified as a major challenge to their livelihood, with a call for effective measures to address the threat.
Women fish vendors raised a third, practical grievance: existing schemes and entitlements are not adequately focused on small-scale fishers, particularly women. Their ask was concrete rather than abstract — safe market spaces equipped with drinking water and toilets, so that selling the day’s catch does not mean working without basic facilities.
What is the NPOA-SSF, and where does this consultation fit?
The National Plan of Action for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF Marine) is India’s national response to the FAO’s SSF Guidelines. The guidelines push a bottom-up model: fishing communities themselves help write the rules that govern their waters, their work and their welfare. The Union Department of Fisheries is leading the process, with BOBP-IGO facilitating and coordinating, and a National Task Force (Marine) — on which Dakshin Foundation’s Dr. Naveen Namboothiri sits — drafting the plan.
Similar consultations are being coordinated across coastal states and islands by a consortium of fisher organisations and associations. The Andaman leg has now covered both ends of the island chain: Diglipur on 13 October for North and Middle Andaman, and Sri Vijaya Puram on 30 October for the south. Inputs from both districts will be incorporated into the draft National Action Plan.
The South Andaman round follows the Kochi consultation of 12 October 2026 at ICAR-CIFT, which we covered earlier, where more than 50 representatives discussed the same national plan. Earlier reporting on that process said the draft was expected to be made public around World Fisheries Day, 21 November 2026, with finalisation and notification in 2027. That timeline was reported before this consultation, so treat it as the process’s stated direction, not as a confirmed release date — but it does mean the window for fishers to be heard is now, not later.
Dr. Namboothiri called the consultations a landmark opportunity for small-scale fish workers to raise their concerns and place them on record to help shape the plan. For South Andaman’s 40 participants, that record now includes ban-day pay, nearshore rights, ground separation, crocodile safety and women’s market facilities.
What small-scale fishers can do now
- Watch for the draft plan: If the earlier reported timeline holds, a public draft could appear around World Fisheries Day, 21 November 2026. Read it when it comes — that is the moment to check whether the South Andaman demands made it in.
- Stay in touch with the consultation network: The Andaman rounds were run through NFSF, Dakshin Foundation and BOBP-IGO with the Department of Fisheries. Fishers who attended, or want the next round, can reach the Department of Fisheries, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, or their district fisheries office for updates.
- Keep records of lost days: If ban-day compensation is debated, documented evidence helps — note the dates of seasonal bans and cyclone warnings when boats stay ashore, and keep any panchayat or fisheries-office notices.
- Women vendors, organise the market ask: The demand for safe markets with water and toilets is strongest when vendors raise it together. Vendor groups can put the same ask to the local administration and the fisheries department in writing.
- Do not pay anyone for “NPOA registration”: No fee, form or agent has been announced for this process. Anyone selling enrolment into the plan or into compensation is not part of it — check with the district fisheries office first.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a new compensation scheme for fishers during fishing bans?
No. The South Andaman consultation recorded a demand for compensation for all small-scale fishing households during bans and cyclones. No new scheme, amount or start date has been announced.
What is the current lean-period compensation?
Participants referred to an existing compensation of Rs. 3,000 per household per year during lean fishing periods, and asked for it to be increased and extended to women fishers and non-BPL families. That figure comes from the consultation report, not from a fresh government notification.
Who ran the South Andaman consultation?
It was facilitated by Pradeep Chatterjee, President of the National Federation of Small-scale Fishworkers (NFSF), with support from the Dakshin Foundation team, BOBP-IGO and the Department of Fisheries, as part of drafting the NPOA-SSF Marine.
Was there an earlier Andaman consultation?
Yes — at Diglipur on 13 October 2026 for fishers from North and Middle Andaman. Inputs from both districts feed into the same draft National Action Plan.
When will the national plan be final?
Earlier reporting on the process pointed to a public draft around World Fisheries Day, 21 November 2026, with finalisation and notification in 2027. That is the stated direction of the process, not a confirmed date — watch for the official draft.
Do the fishers’ demands cover mechanised boats?
The fishers asked for stricter enforcement of the separation between small-scale and mechanised fishing grounds under the Andaman and Nicobar Marine Fishing Regulation, and for greater participation in framing the islands’ fisheries management plans.
Why this story matters beyond Andaman
Small-scale fishers are the majority of India’s fishing workforce, and the NPOA-SSF is the first national plan built explicitly around their rights rather than just fish production. What gets written into it — ban-day compensation, nearshore tenure, women’s market safety — will shape policy far beyond one island consultation. South Andaman’s 40 fishers have now put their version on record. The next test is whether the draft plan, when it appears, reflects it.
Related reading on Fisheries India: India’s Small Fishers Demand Pay for Lost Sea Days (the Kochi consultation that started this series), Andaman: Up to 75% Safety Gear Subsidy!, 93 Women Turned Fish Waste Into 10% More Profit, and The Ocean Crisis Is a Women’s Crisis, UN Warns.
Sources (fact-check, 2 November 2026)
- Nicobar Times, “South Andaman Small-Scale Fishers Seek Livelihood Protection, Compensation During Fishing Bans at One-Day Consultation”, Sri Vijaya Puram, 2 November 2026 — consultation date (30 October 2026), venue (TSG Emerald Hotel), 40 participants, ten villages, facilitator (Pradeep Chatterjee, NFSF), supporters (Dakshin Foundation, BOBP-IGO, Department of Fisheries), all six demands, Rs. 3,000 existing compensation, women vendors’ market ask, nearshore decline, crocodile threat, Dr. Naveen Namboothiri quote, Diglipur consultation 13 October 2026.
- Fisheries India, “India’s Small Fishers Demand Pay for Lost Sea Days”, 28 October 2026 — Kochi consultation 12 October 2026 at ICAR-CIFT, NPOA-SSF process structure, reported timeline (public draft around World Fisheries Day 21 November 2026, finalisation 2027).
- FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines) — basis of the NPOA-SSF draft, as described in the Nicobar Times report.
Fact-check note: every figure in this post is a demand or statement reported from the consultation, not an announced scheme. No new compensation amount, enrolment window or fee is claimed, because none has been announced. If the draft NPOA-SSF changes any of this, this post will be updated.