For the first time, fishermen in Andhra Pradesh have accident insurance from the government. The state has joined the Group Accident Insurance Scheme (GAIS) in the financial year 2026-27, and proposals have been received to extend the cover to 2,84,888 fishers.
This matters because fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the state. Every year, fishermen go far into the sea in small boats, work through the night in bad weather, and face storms, capsizes and accidents on the way to harbour. Until now, if a fisherman died or was disabled in an accident at sea, his family had no insurance payout from this scheme to fall back on. That has changed in 2026-27.
This post explains what GAIS pays, who is covered, who pays the premium, how a claim must be filed, and what the scheme does not cover. It also separates GAIS from the separate boat-insurance proposal that is only at the proposal stage — the two are often confused, and they are not the same thing. This GAIS AP fishers insurance is the first accident cover of its kind the state has joined under PMMSY.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Group Accident Insurance Scheme (GAIS), under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) |
| State | Andhra Pradesh — participating for the first time in 2026-27 |
| Fishers proposed for cover | 2,84,888 |
| Accidental death or permanent total disability | ₹5,00,000 |
| Permanent partial disability | ₹2,50,000 |
| Hospitalisation after an accident | ₹25,000 |
| Premium | Shared by the Centre and the state (60:40); the fisher pays nothing |
| Claim intimation deadline | Within 120 days of the accident |
| Complete claim proposal deadline | Within 180 days of the accident |
| Source | Ministry of Fisheries, Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1174, answered 29 July 2026 |
GAIS AP fishers insurance: what it pays
GAIS is accident insurance. It pays only when the injury or death is caused by an accident. There are three levels of benefit, and the amounts are fixed across the country:
₹5,00,000 for accidental death or permanent total disability. If a covered fisher dies in an accident, or suffers a disability that permanently stops him from working, the family or the fisher receives ₹5 lakh.
₹2,50,000 for permanent partial disability. If an accident leaves a fisher with a permanent partial disability — for example, the loss of a limb or partial loss of use — the payout is ₹2.5 lakh.
₹25,000 for hospitalisation after an accident. If a fisher is injured in an accident and needs hospital treatment, the scheme pays up to ₹25,000 towards hospital expenses.
These are the standard GAIS benefit amounts under PMMSY, confirmed in the Government of India’s answer in Parliament on 29 July 2026. The amounts do not change from state to state.
Who is covered
GAIS covers marine fishers, inland fishers and allied fish workers. That includes people who fish in the sea and in inland waters, and workers in allied fishing activities. The cover applies to fishers whose names are on the state’s enrolled list under the scheme.
For Andhra Pradesh, the Parliament answer states that proposals have been received to extend insurance coverage to 2,84,888 fishers in 2026-27. That is the figure for this financial year, and it is the first time the state has participated in GAIS.
Two things follow from this. First, if you are a fisher in Andhra Pradesh, the practical question is whether your name is on the enrolled list — cover under a group scheme works through enrolment, and a name missing from the list means no cover. Check this with your District Fisheries Office. Second, as of the Parliament answer on 29 July 2026, no claims had yet been made for settlement in Andhra Pradesh under the scheme. That is expected for a state that has just joined, but it also means fishing families need to know the claim route from day one, before an accident happens.
Who pays the premium
The fisher pays nothing. The entire premium is shared between the Centre and the state government in the ratio of 60:40 for general states like Andhra Pradesh. This is why there is no application fee and no premium collection from fishermen for GAIS cover.
That is an important difference from private accident insurance, where the worker pays the premium every year. Under GAIS, the cost sits with the two governments, and the fisher’s job is to be enrolled and, if an accident happens, to file the claim on time.
How to claim — and the two deadlines that decide it
The claim process has two deadlines, and missing them can end a claim. Both come from the scheme guidelines quoted in the Parliament answer:
Inform the authorities within 120 days of the accident. The claim intimation — the first formal information that an accident has happened — must be submitted within 120 days from the date of the accident.
Submit the complete claim proposal within 180 days. The full claim, with all required documents, must be submitted within 180 days of the accident.
Families should therefore do three things immediately after an accident: keep the hospital records and the accident report, inform the District Fisheries Office as early as possible, and not wait for months before starting the paperwork. The 120-day and 180-day limits run from the date of the accident itself, not from the date of discharge or the date the family feels ready to file.
There is no separate online application or status portal for GAIS that has been announced for Andhra Pradesh. Claims go through the state fisheries department, so the District Fisheries Office is the first place to contact. Ask there for the standard claim format and the checklist of documents — the scheme guidelines use standardised formats, and filing in the right format the first time avoids delays.
What GAIS does not cover
GAIS pays for accidents only. It does not pay for death from natural causes — illness, a heart attack, or any non-accidental cause is not covered, however tragic the loss.
It also does not cover the boat. GAIS insures the fisher, not the vessel. A fisherman who survives a storm but loses his boat gets no boat payment under GAIS. That gap is real, and it is the reason boat insurance is being discussed separately — but boat insurance is not GAIS, and it is not yet a scheme anyone can apply for.
Boat insurance: a separate proposal, not a scheme yet
After the recent cyclone, the demand for boat insurance has grown louder. On 30 October 2026, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan directed officials to prepare proposals for insurance cover for fishing vessels. Fishing boat owners’ associations have also asked the Union fisheries minister for comprehensive insurance for mechanised and motorised boats.
But no premium, no subsidy rate, no enrolment window and no launch date has been announced for any new Andhra Pradesh boat-insurance facility. It is at the proposal stage. Do not confuse it with GAIS: GAIS is live national cover that has now reached Andhra fishers, while boat insurance is a feasibility proposal that officials have been asked to prepare.
How GAIS fits with Matsyakara Sevalo
GAIS is not the only support fishermen get from the government, and it should not be confused with the state’s main fishermen welfare payment. Under Matsyakara Sevalo (earlier called YSR Matsyakara Bharosa), the state government gives ₹20,000 to each eligible fisherman family during the annual 61-day marine fishing ban, which runs from 15 April to 14 June every year. For 2026-27, ₹261.59 crore was released to 1,30,796 fishermen families on 19 May 2026. Our guide to fishermen support in AP explains how this ban-period payment works alongside the other support fishermen get.
The two schemes do different jobs. Matsyakara Sevalo replaces income during the two months when fishing is banned. GAIS pays when a fisher is hurt or killed in an accident. A family can be covered by both: the ₹20,000 ban-period assistance and the accident cover under GAIS are separate benefits, and one does not cancel the other.
The state also gives a diesel subsidy of ₹9 per litre for mechanised boats, and PMMSY funds fisheries infrastructure projects in the state. But for a fishing family, the two numbers that matter most this year are ₹20,000 during the ban and up to ₹5 lakh if the worst happens at sea.
What fishermen should do now
- Check your enrolment. Ask at the District Fisheries Office whether your name is on the GAIS AP fishers insurance enrolled list for 2026-27. If it is not, find out what registration is needed.
- Keep your documents ready. Aadhaar, bank account details, fisheries registration and any boat licence should be in order before they are needed in a hurry.
- Tell your family the deadlines. The people who file a claim are usually the family, after the accident. Make sure they know: inform within 120 days, complete claim within 180 days.
- Do not pay anyone for GAIS enrolment. The premium is paid by the Centre and the state. No one should be collecting money from fishermen for this cover.
- Do not wait for boat insurance. If you hear that boat insurance has launched, check whether it is the GAIS accident cover (live) or the new boat facility (still only a proposal). The two are different.
For the other payments due this month, see our AP Government Schemes in November 2026 guide and the November 2026 payment calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Does a fisherman need to apply for GAIS?
There is no individual application portal announced for GAIS in Andhra Pradesh. Cover works through the state’s enrolled list of fishers under PMMSY. Check your enrolment with the District Fisheries Office.
How much does GAIS cost a fisherman?
Nothing. The premium is shared 60:40 between the Centre and the state government.
What if the accident happened months ago?
The claim intimation must be within 120 days and the complete proposal within 180 days of the accident. If those dates have passed, the claim may not be accepted. File as early as possible.
Does GAIS pay if a fisherman dies of illness?
No. GAIS covers accidents only. Death from natural causes or illness is not covered.
Is boat damage covered?
No. GAIS covers the fisher, not the boat. A separate boat-insurance facility is only at the proposal stage, with no premium or enrolment window announced.
Sources
- Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1174, answered 29 July 2026 — Andhra Pradesh first-time GAIS participation in 2026-27, 2,84,888 fishers proposed, benefit amounts, 120/180-day deadlines, no claims till date: https://sansad.in/getFile/annex/271/AU1174_nU5K6v.pdf?source=pqars
- Andhra Pradesh joins GAIS for the first time; benefit amounts, premium sharing and claim deadlines explained: https://fisheriesindia.com/2026/11/andhra-joins-fisher-insurance-2-85-lakh-fishers-in.html
- Matsyakara Sevalo 2026-27: ₹20,000 per family, ₹261.59 crore to 1,30,796 families on 19 May 2026: https://aimindia.in/ap-fisheries-support-scheme/