A group of fisheries experts has suggested some short-term and long-term activities to be taken up across various domains of the fisheries sector in the post-Covid scenario.

Shivakumar Magada, professor and Associate Director of Extension at College of Fisheries in Mangaluru, who hosted a webinar on ‘Strategies for managing fisheries and aquaculture sectors under economic slowdown following Covid-19 outbreak’ under the banner of Professional Fisheries Graduates Forum (PFGF), told BusinessLine that the webinar was organised by inviting fisheries professionals from different fields related to the fisheries sector to discuss and come out with suitable remedial measures and strategies to sustain this sector for the future. The deliberations focused on immediate intervention that need to be completed in 100 days, and short-term interventions that need to be completed in 300 days.

Processing and export

For processing and export sector, it suggested immediate interventions such as paid holiday for workers, identification of holding facilities, and regulation of harvest. It also suggested incentives and advance payments to the workers of processing plants, and fish and shrimp farms.

The short-term measures suggested included educating people on hygienic handing of fish and fisheries products, and interest-free loans to fishermen, and promotion of alternative livelihood activities.

For marine capture fisheries and brackish water aquaculture, the webinar suggested immediate measures such as food and shelter for workers till they resume fishing, and alternative livelihood activities.

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