AMN / WEB DESK

Union Minister for Fisheries Parshottam Rupala has said that India has the largest marine resource to compete in the global fisheries sector. Speaking at the National Fish Farmers Day celebrations at Mahabalipuram near Chennai today, he said that research and reporting on fish diseases and fish-related sector are of utmost importance in the world today. He told that the Narendra Modi-led Government has allocated a maximum of more than Rs 38 thousand crore for the development of the fishing sector.

In his address, Union Minister of State Dr L.Murugan said that the fishing sector had 120 startups to develop fish-related marketing, value-added products, and introduction of the latest software needed for the development of the sector. He said that the fishing industry has an export of 64 thousand crore.  Lusting out the various achievements he told that  Prime Ministers’ vision for the next 25 years has given a great thrust to Indian fishing industry to compete at global levels.  He appealed to the State Governments to cooperate with the Union Government to fulfill the vision of development.

State Minister for Fisheries Anitha Radhakrishnan submitted a memorandum to the Minister. In his speech, he said that the Union Government should reconsider the period of ban on fishing in the State of Tamilnadu. He also appealed to the Minister to arrange for a meeting with the officials of India and Srilanka to sort out the issue of fishermen often being caught by the Srilankan Navy. He appealed to the Minister to help the fishermen as the Srilankan Government refuses to release the fishing boats while arresting the fishermen and reiterated that it was not repeated in their case.