Fisheries sector gets big push in state budget

Bengaluru: Among the many announcements made in the state budget session, one of the topics grabbed attention from the people of the coast. The push for developing and modernising the fisheries sector has been directed towards the fisherfolk of the Konkan coast.

To begin with, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj Bommai said that the fishing boats will be converted from kerosene run engines to diesel/petrol engines. This conversion is expected to be complete in two years with a total grant of Rs. 40 Crore and a subsidy of Rs. 50,000.

The subsidy on kerosene for fishermen however, will stand for the next two years and will be transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Moreover, the subsidy on diesel for the fishermen is increased to 2 lakh kilo liters.

After the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's statement during one of his Karnataka visits, the state government is trying to give a push to the fisheries sector. A grant of Rs. 20 crore has been earmarked in this state budget to maintain stock of high quality fish seeds. A Fish Seed Production and Rearing Farm Centre is also expected to come up in Haveri.

Prawn culture has also been given importance in the budget. Several clusters for prawn culture away from the coast has been announced in the Kalyana Karnataka districts of Bellary, Raichur and Yadagiri.

In a bid to aid safety of fishing boats going into deep sea for fishing, a total grant of Rs. 17 crore has been announced for GPS based tracking systems. After the recent strife that occurred mid-sea between fishing boats from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the GPS tracking systems could provide aid in such situations.

A proposal to create artificial reefs has been made to catch the interest of traditional fishermen. These reefs will be built up in certain areas of coastal districts under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

According to scientific research, artificial reefs provide suitable conditions that promote growth of marine plants. These reefs are planted on sea beds and provide conditions similar to natural reefs.

The reefs also incubate growth of sea fish. According to a report from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), there are about 280 artificial reefs in Indian waters which include 28 in Kerala and 243 in Tamil Nadu.

Bommai announced that a 'Matsya Siri' scheme will be introduced for the first time in the state to aid fishermen while fishing in deep waters. This scheme will be conducted in coordination with the Matsya Sampada Yojana.

Apart from these, Bommai announced that a seafood park will be established on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This park is said to be set up in Bynduru area of Udupi district. In a bid to provide better facilities to the fisherfolk, 10,000 houses would be built for members of the fishing community. An additional announcement has been made of a scheme that will distribute eco-friendly three wheelers that help fishmongers in selling their stock.