Steps being taken to increase export of marine products, says Murugan

Union Ministers visit coastal villages in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi; Murugan says Centre taking steps to boost marine product exports. Suggestions sought from fishermen to take Fisheries Dept. to new heights. Centre allocating funds for protective gears, infrastructure facilities. GPS equipment given to fishermen to avoid crossing IMBL. Union Ministers visit Periyathazhai, Tiruchendur, Veerapandianpattinam, Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour, Tharuvaikulam fish landing centre.

The Union government is taking all possible steps to improve exports of marine products, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying L. Murugan has said.

As Union Minister for Fisheries Parshottam Rupala and his deputy Mr. Murugan are visiting coastal hamlets across the country as part of their ‘Sagar Parikrama’ programme, after visiting some of the coastal villages of Kanniyakumari district, they visited some villages in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts on Friday.

Speaking to reporters in Tiruchendur, Mr. Murugan said India, which ranked fourth in the export of fish and stood second in prawn export, was according the highest priority for increasing the export of marine products by allocating more funds to the Department. Suggestions were being solicited from fishermen during their visit to the coastal villages for taking the Department to unparalleled heights.

The suggestion for deploying ‘sea ambulance’ at various fishing harbours across the country to help the fishermen on the high seas during medical emergencies would be considered, he said.

Apart from the allocation of ₹11 crore for giving protective gears to the fishermen, ₹1,800 crore had been earmarked for improving infrastructure in fish landing centres and fishing harbours. The Centre had supported 50 Tamil Nadu fishermen with a subsidy of ₹60 lakh each for buying deep sea boats which cost about ₹1.30 crore each.

Asked about retrieval of Katchatheevu, Mr .Murugan said the Congress and the DMK, which had colluded in handing over the islet to Sri Lanka, had no locus standi to raise the issue. The Centre would take appropriate step in this connection, he added.

He assured that the Coastal Regulatory Zone Management Plan would not hamper fishing operations and claimed that no Tamil Nadu fisherman was killed by the Sri Lankan Navy after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014.