KOCHI: Calling upon the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) to develop a comprehensive policy to realise the true potential of aquaculture in the country, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu has said it will open a huge opportunity to boost exports and improve the livelihood of the farmers.
The MPEDA should prepare a protocol for aquaculture to ensure that it does not pollute our groundwater resources. All aquaculturists should follow the protocol, he said after inaugurating the Multispecies Aquaculture Complex built by MPEDA at Vallarpadom near here on Saturday.
The minister said Kerala should host an international summit on fishing to make a steady development in the coastal state. The Centre will provide all the support for such a summit that can feature experts from countries like Korea and Japan -- major consumers of India’s marine food.
Noting that value-added products will play a decisive role in the growth of the fishing sector, Suresh Prabhu said India was aiming to achieve an income of 60 million dollar from agricultural exports in the next five years. He called upon fish farmers to eye the international market and fulfil international business parameters.The fish farmers should rely on sustainable technology and MPEDA will offer help on this front,” said Prabhu.
Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma, MPs K V Thomas and A Navaneethakrishnan, S Sarma MLA, Kerala Ports Department Principal Secretary A Jayathilak, MPEDA chairman K S Srinivas and secretary B Sreekumar participated.
The aquaculture complex houses a hatchery for black tiger shrimp and six nurseries for mud crab and four varieties of fin fishes namely, Seabass, Cobia, Silver Pompano and Tilapia. The hatchery has an annual production capacity of 20 million post-larval black tiger shrimp, and the nurseries can produce 16.5 lakh fingerlings of fin fishes and 0.5 lakh crablets which will help the farmers to diversify and scale up the aquaculture production.