THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To enhance the livelihood opportunities of fisherwomen affected by Cyclone Ockhi in the district, the Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation Limited (KSCADC) will set up a fish processing centre at Vizhinjam.
The project also proposes a stall to sell value-added fish products and a seafood restaurant at Azhakulam. The project cost is Rs 4 crores and will be met by the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (Ockhi).
“The department is of the view that there is a need to provide livelihood opportunities for fisherwomen who lost their breadwinners during Cyclone Ockhi which struck the coasts in 2017. The project is expected to directly benefit 20 women,” said an officer of the Fisheries Department.
According to the officer, while providing the women with an income generation opportunity, the fish processing centre will also increase the scope of value-added fish products.
The Fisheries Director’s detailed project proposal submitted to the government states that the project intends to achieve the objectives of promoting responsible fisheries by implementing hygienic fish handling practices, protecting fishers from being exploited by middlemen, ensuring supply of quality fish products to customers and developing a professional marketing system.
“The plant will become a production hub for value-added fresh fish products. The project mainly consists of two components, one is the processing centre that will come up at a government land close to the harbour and other is the stall selling value-added ready to cook and ready to eat fish products and a seafood restaurant at Azhakulam,” said J Suresh Babu, project manager, KSCADC.
According to him, 20 fisherwomen who will get selected for the project will be provided with a five-day inception training. At the same time, the implementation of the project will be subjected to coastal regulation zone clearance.
It is learnt that once the project gets rolled out, the KSCADC will tie-up with online food aggregators like Swiggy and Uber Eats to deliver to customers ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products and delicacies offered by the fish restaurant.
Meanwhile, sources with the department said that another project was also on the anvil at Vizhinjam for the welfare of the fisher community in the form of a seafood park.
Seafood park on the cards
Sources with the department said that another project was also on the anvil at Vizhinjam for the welfare of the fisher community in the form of a seafood park. The park that will be part of the Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL), will come up at the land adjacent to the new fishing harbour. For setting up the same, the VISL has also allotted 25 acres of land.