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In the wake of sharp decline in fish availability for the last three years, a group of fishermen have sought fish famine package to compensate their losses.
The demand was raised during an interactive meeting with Sudarshan Bhagat, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute here on Friday.
According to the fishermen, there is a drastic decline in fish landings in Kerala after 2012, resulting in a huge loss in the fisheries sector. Quoting CMFRI studies, Charles George, State President of Matsyathozhilali Aikyavedi said that the loss was around ₹10,000 crore to the fisheries sector in the State and the announcement of a fish famine package would support the fishing community.
He also urged the Centre to consider the long pending request of the fisher folk to form a separate ministry for fisheries.
The fish farmers requested the Minister to include cage fish farming activities under the Prime Minister’s Mudra Bank Loan scheme and extending insurance protection to cage farming.
The Minister assured that the government would take proper actions after examining the issues raised by the stakeholders and would also seek the State government opinion to resolve the issues.
CMFRI director A Gopalakrishnan said that the institute has set up working group of experts for framing guidelines in connection with the National Mariculture Policy to be submitted to the Union Government.
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