Centre giving thrust to fisheries sector: Minister

CHENNAI: Fish exports and shrimp production and exports have doubled in the country in the last nine years, which shows that the central government is giving more thrust to this sector, said Union minister for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, Parshottam Rupala on Tuesday.

The minister was speaking after inaugurating an international conclave on “Mainstreaming Climate Change into International Fisheries Governance and Strengthening of Fisheries Management Measures in the Indo-Pacific Region” in Chennai.

He said the fisheries, animal husbandry, and dairy departments had been functioning under the agriculture ministry. “Soon after the BJP came to power, a new department was formed, and ministers were appointed for it,” he said.

The fish production in the country was only 95.79 lakh tonne during 2013-14, which rose to 131.37 lakh tonne in 2022-23. The annual shrimp production was 3.22 lakh tonne in the 2013-14 period, which touched 11.84 lakh tonne in 2022-23.

Similarly, annual shrimp exports earned a revenue of Rs 19,368 crore in 2013-14, whereas now in the 2022-23 period, it fetched Rs 43,135 crore from the exports, he said.

Answering a question about the plea of fishermen on the East Coast, who wanted the fishing ban season to be clubbed with that of the West Coast, he said the issue was being discussed at the official level. Depending upon the outcome, a decision would be made in this regard, he said.

The Union fisheries ministry had provided deep-sea fishing vessels to fishermen in Tamil Nadu and a few other states. These boats were indigenously designed and built. The fishermen were given them at subsidized rates, he said.



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