Fisheries sector cool to Centre's decision

Special Correspondent

To set up National Fisheries Development Board

KOCHI: Kerala's marine fisheries sector is lukewarm to the Central Government's decision to set up a National Fisheries Development Board.

Leaders of unions and associations of different segments of the sector told The Hindu that the board could never be an alternative to their long-standing demand for setting up a separate Fisheries Ministry at the Centre. Formulation of a national fisheries policy and its implementation by an independent ministry should be the key step to stem the current crisis in the sector, they said.

The Union Cabinet had on Friday given its stamp of approval to the National Fisheries Development Board, to be set up with a Rs.2,100-crore budget over a period of six years.

The board will aim to increase the country's annual fish production by 3.9 million tonnes by the end of the six years. It would also encourage professional management practices, promote intensive aquaculture, reservoir fishery, brackish water aquaculture, mariculture and seaweed cultivation; development of infrastructure and streamlining of domestic marketing.

Joseph Xavier Kalappurackal, leader of the Kerala State Fishing Boat Operators, said that to address the current crisis in the fishing sector, an independent Union Ministry for Fisheries should be set up immediately. At present four Union Ministries were handling the fisheries sector — Agriculture Ministry for fishing, Commerce for fish export, Food Processing for fish processing and Finance for funding. This multiple control ends up in confusion and lack of coordination, he said.

Lal Koyilparambil of the Kerala Swathanthra Matsyathozhilali Federation said that depletion of fish resources was the key problem and a board set up under the Societies Act could hardly resolve this.

In his view, the board could turn out to be just another breeding ground for bureaucrats as was the case with the several Kochi-based Central institutions mandated to carry out research in the sector. He believes that the formulation of a clear-cut national fisheries policy is the immediate need and an independent Union Ministry could do this. He said the Union Government was mum on the P. Murari Committee that had made very crucial recommendations, including an end to deep-sea fishing by foreign trawlers.

The new board, he feared, would end up serving the interests of marine exporters rather than those of fish workers.

Charles George of Kerala Matsyathozhilali Aikya Vedi said the setting up of the board was partial ceding of the sector's demand for a separate Fishing Ministry. He wanted the board to be headquartered in Kochi in view of the presence of several fisheries-related institutions and agencies.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/06/19/stories/2006061919320300.htm