Seafood exports to cross $10bn by 2020, says Union Commerce Minister

Tamil Nadu provides 50pc subsidy for fishermen to tap deep sea

Fish processing parks at Nagapattinam
and Cuddalore to come soon

Chennai:

India’s seafood exports, which is now around $4 billion, is expected to cross the $10 billion mark by 2020, according to  Union Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma.

Sharma, who inaugurated the 19th edition of Indian International Seafood Show 2014 on nFriday, said that by next year the export of seafood would touch $5 billion mark and it would double by 2020.

Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister K A Jayapal said that the state has introduced a scheme to tap the deep sea fishery wealth by providing 50 per cent subsidy (upto Rs 30 lakh) assistance to fishermen for constructing deep sea fishing boat by adopting sustainable fishing methods such as tune long line and gill netting.

Jayapal said the deep sea fishing boats are envisaged with facilities to land high quality Sashimi grade tuna and other deep sea varities.

He also said the tenders for fish processing parks at Nagapattinam and Cuddalore on public private partnership under first phase will be published shortly. Similarly, Ramanathapuram and Ernavoor in Thiruvallur district would be taken up under the second phase for establishing fish processing parks.

He also urged the seafood export fraternity to come forward and support sustainable development of fisheries sector in the state in improvising infrastructure, storage and seafood handling capacity on par with international standards to compete globally in the  sea food industry.

A J Tharakan, chairman of Seafood Exporters Association of India, said that the outstanding export performance by the seafood sector has been entirely due to the record aquaculture production of vannamei shrimp species in Andhra Pradesh.

“We must salute the small Andhra farmer for his enterprises and ingenuity in achieving shrimp size that was not achieved anywhere in the world,” he said.

He also urged Union Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that adequate import and specific pathogen-free vennamei broodstock is permitted for approved hatcheries so that aquaculture farmers get them in reasonable price.