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The Chamber of Kerala Seafood Industry has requested the government to include seafood peeling shed labourers under the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme.
The Chamber was of the view that inclusion of peeling shed labourers in the scheme would fill the shortage of labourers in the peeling shed industry.
Mr V.P. Hamid, president of the Chamber, said that a majority of the peeling sheds across the State are facing labour shortage and the government initiative in this regard would save the industry, as it is one of the backbones of seafood industry.
Sheds shut down
The labour shortage has forced many of the prawns peeling sheds to close down, affecting various sectors connected with the seafood industry. The Chamber urged the government to take immediate measures to save the industry from further downfall.
He said the association has made several representations to both the Centre and the State government to make efforts to save the industry, which brings in at least Rs 11,000 crore foreign exchange annually. When the coir, cashew sectors in the State had faced a downturn, it was the seafood sector that sustained the export market in the state, he said.
Mr Hamid pointed out that the peeling sector was doing well in the past two years. With the implementation of MGNREGA scheme in the State, peeling shed workers have started shifting to other jobs under the scheme. He expressed the hope that if the government incorporates the peeling shed workers under the scheme, they will come back to do peeling work.
The Chamber also demanded setting up an independent Fisheries Ministry for the benefit of fishing sector in order to provide job protection to thousands of fish workers. It also requested the authorities to extent financial support from MPEFA funds for the renovation of peeling sheds.
Mr Hamid said that the Chamber is also planning to submit a memorandum to the Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr Jairam Ramesh, highlighting various demands of the seafood sector. They include protection to fish workers' life and property in the wake of the recent incidents involving merchant ships.
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