KOCHI: Fisheries Minister J Mercykutyamma said trade unions should increase their involvement in the fisheries sector. Addressing a meeting organised in Kochi to discuss issues faced by those working in peeling centres, the minister said steps would be initiated to ensure basic facilities at peeling centres A monitoring committee headed by District Collector will entrusted with the task of ensuring such facilities,’’ she said. Labourers’ representatives urged the Fisheries Minister to start steps to implement a uniform wage structure. Fisheries Principal Secretary James Varghese, Fisheries director S Karthikeyan, Alapuzha District Collector Veena N Madhavan and Ernakulam ADM C K Praksh were at the meeting.
Boat building, net weaving centres’ regn Meanwhile, it has been decided to introduce registration for boat building yard fishing net weaving centres. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Fisheries Minister Mercykuttyamma to discuss amendments to the Kerala Marine Fishing Regulation Act. Speaking at the meeting the minister also said that steps would be initiated to prevent unscientific weaving of fishing nets. ‘’Notification will be issued with regard to minimum legal size fishing and pair trawling will be dealt with strictly,’’ she said.
Green Corridor, a project aimed at rehabilitation of fishing community and building a green road along the coastline, was also discussed at the meeting. Fishers’ households living within 50 m of the coast will be rehabilitated to the protected area. The `16,000 crore Green Corridor Project envisages construction of 30 m-wide green belt along the coast, a coastal road connecting all the fishing harbours and landing centres from Kollankode to Manjeswaram. Representatives of fishermen’s organisations, boat owners and senior officials attended the meeting.