Local fishermen at Chilika Lake in Odisha.
| Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout
The Odisha Marine Fish Producers Association (OMFPA) on Monday (June 15, 2026) started staying away from fishing protesting “abnormal increase in diesel costs” although the annual fishing ban period ended on June 14, 2026.
“While diesel is available to the general public at retail rates of approximately ₹99–101 per litre, marine fishermen are being forced to purchase diesel through harbour consumer outlets at bulk industrial rates ranging from ₹140-142 per litre. This difference of nearly ₹40 per litre has made the operational cost unsustainable,” said Srikant Parida, a vessel owner and OMFPA member.
“Deep-sea fishing vessel consumes several thousand litres of diesel during a single voyage. As a result, vessel owners are incurring additional expenditures running into lakhs of rupees on every fishing trip,” he said.
OMFPA said, “many boats remain idle at the harbour because operators can no longer afford the fuel costs. While fishermen in States such as Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat are receiving various forms of diesel subsidies and fuel support, Odisha fishermen continue to be denied similar benefits despite making an equal contribution to the nation’s economy and seafood exports.”
Stating that vulnerability of marine fishers has gone up manifold, the association said, “the marine fishing sector has witnessed a steep rise in operational expenses over the last few years. Costs associated with vessel maintenance, fishing gear, spare parts, engine repairs, labour wages, ice, food supplies have increased substantially.”
“At the same time, fish availability has declined in traditional fishing grounds, reducing catches and profitability. As a result, many vessel owners are struggling to repay bank loans and private borrowings, while fishermen are finding it increasingly difficult to support their families,” it said.
There are about 1730 mechanised vessels and 4500 mechanised boats operating along 575 km coast line. About 15,17,000 families directly depend on fishing. The indirect jobs generated by the sector runs into several lakhs.
The fishing days available to marine fishers of Odisha are going down. Odisha government imposes two month ban on shore fishing for facilitating breeding of Olive Ridley sea turtles. During the rest 10 months, erratic weather conditions especially episodes of cyclones further shrunk the fishing window.
“On an average, we get average 180 days in a year for fishing. These days, we don’t get fish near shore. We have to rely on deep-see fishing. It makes matter worse for us,” said Mr. Parida.
Published – June 16, 2026 04:15 am IST
