Motorization of Traditional Fishing Craft Subsidy
Andaman and Nicobar Islands state government scheme
Motorization of Traditional Fishing Craft Subsidy is an Andaman and Nicobar Department of Fisheries scheme paying 40 per cent of the cost of a marine engine, fishing gear and propeller up to Rs 48,000, and 60 per cent up to Rs 72,000 for ST, SC and women fishers. Applications are filed offline at Fisheries Zonal Offices.
What is the Motorization of Traditional Fishing Craft Subsidy?
Motorization of Traditional Fishing Craft Subsidy is a scheme of the Department of Fisheries, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, that helps registered fishers of the islands buy an outboard or inboard marine engine along with fishing gear and a propeller. The scheme is the bridge between a traditional, oar or sail-driven craft and a motorized one, and it is announced periodically by press release inviting applications through the department's zonal offices.
Traditional craft in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands work a narrow band of water close to the landing centre. Fitting even a small engine widens the working radius, shortens the run home when weather turns and makes it possible to fish on days when a paddled craft would stay ashore. Because a marine engine costs several times a small fisher's seasonal earnings, the department carries a substantial share of that cost.
Key features
- 40 per cent of the unit cost with a ceiling of Rs 48,000 for general category applicants.
- 60 per cent of the unit cost with a ceiling of Rs 72,000 for Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste and women applicants.
- Covers an outboard or inboard marine engine, fishing gear and a propeller.
- Engine capacity must not exceed 30 HP, and subsidy is worked out on up to 10 HP.
- Replacement of an unserviceable engine older than five years is allowed, on an Authorized Marine Engineer's certificate.
- Applied for offline, at Fisheries Zonal Offices and Sub-Stations.
Who is eligible for the motorization subsidy?
You can apply if:
- You are a registered fisher of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- You own a registered non-motorized or motorized fishing craft.
- You hold a valid fishing licence for two consecutive years including the current year.
- The engine you propose to buy is not more than 30 HP.
- You have not received assistance from the fisheries departments in the last five years.
You cannot apply, or are not eligible, if:
- You do not own a registered fishing craft. The subsidy attaches to a craft, not to a person in the abstract.
- Your fishing licence is new, lapsed, or does not cover two consecutive years including the current year.
- You have already drawn fisheries department assistance within the last five years. This exclusion is stated in the scheme's own terms.
- You want an engine above 30 HP covered, or gear outside the approved list.
- You are seeking a replacement engine that is less than five years old, or cannot produce an Authorized Marine Engineer's certificate that the existing engine is beyond repair.
Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste and women applicants must produce the relevant certificate or identity proof to be assessed at the higher 60 per cent rate; without it the claim is processed at 40 per cent.
What gear and equipment does the subsidy cover?
The department restricts the assisted gear to categories that are compatible with sustainable island fishing:
- Gill nets with a minimum mesh size of 25 mm.
- Hook and line.
- Shore nets and drag nets.
- Fish traps.
The 25 mm minimum mesh condition is a conservation rule rather than a technicality. Finer mesh takes juvenile fish before they spawn, and the department will not subsidise it.
What documents are required?
| Document | Mandatory | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribed application form | Yes | From the Directorate of Fisheries or a zonal office or sub-station |
| Fishing craft registration certificate | Yes | Craft must be registered, motorized or non-motorized |
| Valid fishing licence | Yes | Two consecutive years including the current year |
| Quotation for engine, gear or propeller | Yes | The subsidy is a percentage of the unit cost |
| ST or SC certificate | No | Only to claim the 60 per cent rate |
| Authorized Marine Engineer's certificate | No | Only for replacement of an engine over five years old |
| Aadhaar card | Yes | Standard identity proof |
| Bank passbook | Yes | The subsidy is released into this account |
How to apply for the motorization subsidy
- Watch for the department's press release notifying the scheme for the financial year. The Department of Fisheries advertises through the local press and the Andaman and Nicobar Administration website, and the window is typically a few weeks long.
- Collect the application form and the detailed terms and conditions from the Directorate of Fisheries, a Zonal Fisheries Office, or the nearest Fisheries Sub-Station.
- Check the eligibility conditions against your own papers before filling the form; craft registration, two consecutive years of fishing licence, and the five-year gap since any earlier fisheries assistance are the three that most often disqualify an applicant.
- Obtain a dealer quotation for the marine engine, gear and propeller you intend to buy, keeping the engine within the 30 HP limit.
- Attach the supporting documents — craft registration, licence, Aadhaar, bank passbook, and the ST or SC certificate if you are claiming the higher rate. Add the Authorized Marine Engineer's certificate if this is an engine replacement.
- Submit the completed application at the nearest Fisheries Zonal Office or Fisheries Sub-Station on or before the closing date in the notice, and keep the acknowledgement.
Key dates
The department has not published a standing annual calendar for this scheme. The most recent window traced for the motorization subsidy closed on 31 July 2024, following a press release inviting applications for the purchase of an outboard or inboard marine engine, fishing gear and propeller. For comparison, the department's related boat construction subsidy closed on 15 July 2026 for 2026-27 and on 31 May 2025 for 2025-26, and its essential fishery requisites subsidy closed on 30 June 2026.
The practical lesson for a fisher is the same across all three schemes: the Department of Fisheries gives short notice, so keep your craft registration, fishing licence and identity documents current all year and ask your zonal office to tell you when the next notification is expected.
How to check your application status
There is no online status tracker for this scheme. Follow it up in person:
- Take your acknowledgement back to the Zonal Office or Sub-Station where you filed.
- Ask whether the file has cleared document scrutiny and whether a physical verification of the craft has been ordered.
- If the zonal office cannot give you a position, escalate to the Directorate of Fisheries at Sri Vijaya Puram.
Why applications get rejected
- No registered fishing craft, or a registration that has lapsed.
- Fishing licence short of the two-consecutive-year requirement, including the current year.
- Assistance drawn from a fisheries department within the last five years.
- Engine above 30 HP, or gear outside the approved list, or gill nets below the 25 mm minimum mesh.
- Replacement claim without an Authorized Marine Engineer's certificate, or for an engine less than five years old.
- Application filed after the closing date, or incomplete.
Where to get help
- Directorate of Fisheries, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair).
- Zonal Fisheries Offices for North and Middle Andaman, South Andaman and Nicobar districts.
- Fisheries Sub-Stations near your landing centre, which both issue and receive the forms.
Collect the form directly from a departmental office. The form is free, the terms and conditions change from cycle to cycle, and no agent is authorised to file the application on a fisher's behalf.
Documents required
Frequently asked questions
How much subsidy is given for motorizing a fishing craft in Andaman and Nicobar?
General category applicants receive 40 per cent of the unit cost with a ceiling of Rs 48,000, while Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste and women applicants receive 60 per cent with a ceiling of Rs 72,000. The subsidy covers an outboard or inboard marine engine together with fishing gear and a propeller.
What size of engine does the motorization subsidy cover?
The engine must not exceed 30 horsepower, and the subsidy is calculated on up to 10 horsepower of that engine. A fisher may therefore buy a larger engine within the 30 HP limit, but the assisted portion is capped.
Who cannot apply for the motorization subsidy?
Fishers who do not own a registered fishing craft, who do not hold a valid fishing licence for two consecutive years including the current year, or who have already received assistance from the fisheries departments in the last five years are not eligible.
Can I use the subsidy to replace an old engine?
Yes, where the existing engine on a motorized craft is more than five years old and unserviceable. The department requires a certificate from an Authorized Marine Engineer confirming that the engine is beyond repair before the replacement claim is accepted.
Which fishing gear qualifies under the scheme?
Gill nets of at least 25 mm mesh size, hook and line, shore and drag nets, and fish traps are the approved categories. The 25 mm minimum mesh rule keeps the subsidy away from gear that takes juvenile fish.
Is the application online?
No. Application forms and the detailed terms and conditions are collected from the Directorate of Fisheries, Zonal Fisheries Offices or Fisheries Sub-Stations, and the completed application is handed in at the nearest zonal office or sub-station.
When is the last date to apply?
The Department of Fisheries fixes a new closing date each time it notifies the scheme; the most recent window traced closed on 31 July 2024. Because the department gives only a few weeks' notice, check the current position with your Fisheries Zonal Office rather than assuming a date.
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