SOUTH INDIAN FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN SOCIETIES ( SIFFS )

Nagapattanam District Fishermen Sangams Federation (NDFSF)

The Nagai District Fishermen Sangams’ Federation (Regd.No:163/2010), Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu is a 13-year-old Member based Organization established and run by the coastal fisher folk for implementing developmental initiatives for the socio-economic development of the fisher folk engaged in small scale artisanal fishing. The NDFSF is registered as a Society under Section 10 of Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act., 1975 and the registration is being renewed every year.

The main objective of NDFSF is to liberate the fishermen from the clutches of middlemen and traders by providing debt redemption loan and organise them into village level Fish Marketing Societies (FMSs) and extend guidance and assistance in marketing their fish catch for better remunerative price. At present 23 fish marketing societies in 17 coastal fishing villages with an enrolment of 1678 traditional boat owning fishermen as members are functioning under NDFSF.

The President and Secretary of the village level fish marketing societies are the members of the General Body of NDFSF. The Annual General Body meeting of NDFSF is being convened in September month every year. Once in two years, the Governing body comprising the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Deputy-Secretary, Treasurer and 7 Members is being elected by the General Body. The Governing Body appoints the Chief Executive of NDFSF to manage the day-to-day activities of the federation. A team of 12 staff members assist the Chief Executive in administrative, accounts and other technical work in implementation of development initiatives. The Accounts of the Federation is audited by a qualified Chartered Accountant and the audited accounts statement along with the Balance Sheet is placed before the General Body. After General Body’s approval the Statement of Accounts along with copy of General Body’s resolution is submitted to the Registrar, Government of Tamil Nadu for renewal of registration certificate.

The activities of NDFSF are as follows:

  1. 1. Formation and Supervision of Fish Marketing Societies:

    So far, the NDFSF has liberated 1678 fishermen from the clutches of Middlemen/traders and organised them into 23 fish marketing societies. The NDFSF has provided a sum of Rs 7.89 crores/- as credit to 1678 members of FMSs.

  2. 2. Mobilising women fish vendors into Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) and providing financial services to them:

    The women in fishing households play an important role encompassing social and economic responsibilities and duties within and outside their households. The women are involved in productive activities related fish production, processing and marketing. In the absence of collateral free loans from formal financial institutions the women fish vendors obtain credit from village level money lenders with high rate of interest (up to 120%). The NDFSF has mobilised 3919 poor female fish vendors into 790 Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) and provided a sum of Rs.29.33 crores/- as collateral free credit to meet out the working capital requirement for fish vending activities. The NDFSF has provided other financial services such as life insurance, Personal Accident Insurance, health insurance, micro savings and credit life insurance to these vendors leading to financial inclusion.

  3. 3. Financial Services offered by NDFSF to its member beneficiaries:

    Since 2010, the NDFSF has been offering following financial services to its member beneficiaries.

    1. A. Micro-credit:

      So, for the NDFSF has provided /arranged credit to members of FMS and fish vending women members of JLGs. The details are as follows.

      Details on Credit Extended to Members of NDFSF

      Member Category Amount provided as credit (Rs. in lakhs) Outstanding amount (Rs. in lakhs)
      FMS Members 789.51 92.98
      JLG Fish vending women NDFSF Loan 2323.85 683.81
      JLG Fish vending women TNGB Credit linkage 610.00 40.39
      Total 3723.36 817.18
    2. Vulnerability Reduction Loan to Fishermen and women Fish vendors:

      The coastal fishing households are vulnerable to natural disasters, cyclone, sea-surge, tsunami, heavy rain and flooding. Due to global warming and climate change there is increase in the frequency of natural disasters and the fishing households are vulnerable to communicable diseases. The COVID 19 pandemic and subsequent lock down measures affected the livelihoods of fishermen and women fish vendors. For nearly five months the fisher folk could not carry out their livelihood activities. In order to cater the household and business needs (to re-start fishing activity by fishermen and fish vending business by women fish vendors of fishing households, the NDFSF has created a separate fund to the tune of Rs. 52.46 lakhs in the name of Vulnerability Reduction Fund with contributions from PTSLP and members of FMS and JLGs. From this VRF fund, Vulnerability Reduction Loans (VRFs) are being disbursed to members of FMS and JLGs with 6.0% interest (diminishing basis) repayable in 12 monthly instalments. The details of VRF loans sanctioned are as follows.

      Sl. No. Category Members sanctioned VRF Loan Loan Amount Disbursed (Rs. in lakhs) Outstanding Amount (Rs. in lakhs)
      1. FMS Members 128 12.8 5.19
      2. JLG Members 1677 164.4 39.13
      Total 1805 177.2 44.32
    3. B. Insurance:
      1. a)Credit Life Insurance scheme for members of women JLGs and FMSs:

        JLG women fish vendors’ micro credit is insured when they receive the loan from the federation. If a member expires during the period of repayment of loan the Federation waives the balance loan amount and the Life Insurance Corporation wherein the micro-credit amount is insured settles the claim for balance loan amount. Apart from this the Federation sanctions a sum of Rs.1,46,000/-to the family of the deceased member to meet out the funeral expenses. 73 members (members both FMSs & JLGs) were enrolled in the Credit Life Insurance Scheme of LIC.

    4. Supply of Insulated Ice boxes to FMS Members and JLG Members:

      Due to decline in fish catches in inshore waters, the fishermen venture into new fishing grounds in deeper waters and they are to be in the sea for longer duration. Therefore, the fishermen have to carry ice in the insulated ice boxes to preserve the fish immediately after catching the fish. The women fish vendors used the ice boxes to carry the fish ice to fish markets and store the unsold fish in the ice boxes with ice for next day’s sales. The NDFSF with subsidy extended by PTSLP had distributed the ice boxes to members of FMSs and JLGs as detailed below.

      Ice Box Capacity Number of FMS Members Number of JLG Members
      100 Litre capacity 2308 1510
      460 Litre Capacity 452
      475 Litre Capacity 142
      Total 2902 1510