Looking at immense opportunities in seafood exports from Visakhapatnam (Vizag) Port, India’s Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has chalked out a plan to further develop the hub as a means to support the interests of its export oriented fisheries.
The Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, C R Choudhary, informed the parliament that MPEDA has carved out a plan on how the port will be developed to expand and fisheries activities, the Hindu reported.
The minister added that MPEDA had already submitted an action plan to the AP chief secretary for development of export-oriented fisheries in the state.
Visakhapatnam currently ranks first among the 10 major ports that are exporting seafood product, a group that also includes Kochi, Kolkata, Pipavav, Mumbai, Krishnapatnam, Tuticorin, Chennai, Mangalore, and Goa.
India has recently unveiled plans to develop the fisheries sector under a national scheme called “Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries.”
The central government aims to provide focused attention for development and management of the fisheries sector with the specific objective of enhancing both fish production and productivity from aquaculture, and fisheries resources of the inland and marine fisheries sectors, including deep sea fishing.
The minister also said that the plan, which has been submitted to the Andhra Pradesh chief secretary on seafood export units, will develop clusters of aquaculture farms with help from farmers via joint farming.
MPEDA will also establish a seafood park at Vishakhapatnam, it said. The agency will oversee the upgrade of fishing harbors and the dredging of the area around Vishakhapatnam.
Farm and hatchery levels training in the coastal city will be set up to train a technical force comprising both the government and private sector.
Under the plan, MPEDA will implement better management practices and extension training for state fisheries officials and lab technicians, the minister stressed.
