The Hindu Business Line : MPEDA plans to tap tuna resources in Andamans

Port Blair, July 8 Ways to exploit the tuna resources in the seas surrounding the Andaman and Nicobar islands and clearing the administrative bottlenecks that prevent domestic tuna long-liners from the mainland operating in the region were among the issues addressed at a workshop organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) here.

Addressing the workshop, the Union Minister of State for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, has said the tuna resource in the Andamans was key to diversifying and growing the country’s marine products export basket. India’s seafood exports were $1.4 billion of which 55 per cent was from frozen shrimp.

This dependence on a single product has to be addressed by diversifying the product range. Also, the MPEDA, under the Commerce Ministry, hopes to double marine products export by 2011 to promote employment generation. Both these issues could be addressed by organised exploitation of the islands’ marine resources, he said.

Exclusive economic zone

The Andaman and Nicobar islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone of 0.6 million sq km is about a third of country’s exclusive economic zone. The marine resources are estimated at about 2.43 lakh tonnes, which is about half that of the resources available to India. Last year India’s tuna exports were about 20,000 tonnes compared to South-East Asian countries in the vicinity where tuna fishing is ten times as much, he said.

Improvement is the key

Improving the fisheries economy of the islands holds the key to providing livelihood opportunity to the people in the islands. The population was about five lakhs, which is twice that of the estimated carrying capacity, Mr Ramesh said.

The Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Mr C. Targay, said that there had been a “lacklustre approach to fisheries, especially tuna. The island has to come out of the ‘tsunami mourning’ and develop sectors that have the potential – fisheries and tourism.

The MPEDA Chairman, Mr G. Mohan Kumar, said India’s export of marine products was primarily in the frozen form without value addition. “This was a criminal waste of resources,” and exports need to move forward to a more professional level.

The islands need modern harbour facilities to exploit the tuna reserves pegged at about 70,000 tonnes a year.

A delegation of tuna long line owners from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh urged the administration to free the controls that prevented Indian operators from operating in the Andamans.

They said that the administration does not encourage operators from the mainland, but foreign vessels use the loopholes in the policy to fish in the waters.

Mr J.M.N. Gordian Kagoo, Managing Director, East India Tuna Fisheries (Pvt) Ltd, said that his company would ensure that 25 per cent fishermen on the company’s vessels would be from the islands if the administration gave the clearance for tuna fishing.

Representatives from the fishing communities on the islands urged the administration to ensure that the local industry is benefited from the developments in the region.

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