Anantapur to develop aqua-culture hubs

Anantapur: As part of state government's policy to establish aqua-culture hubs in all districts, the district is readying itself for establishment of an aqua-culture hub, which will procure river and sea food including fish, prawns and crabs.

The government will zero in on fishery societies which are already engaged in pisciculture in reservoirs and village tanks or anyone interested in setting up the hub and willing to work under Fisheries department should have a registered society which will set up the hub under the Prime Minister Mathsya Sampada Yozhana.

Under the scheme the hub should be established in 25 cents of land available and registered in the name of the society. River and sea fish, prawns and crabs will be procured from coastal districts and stored in the hub having all the infrastructure facilities including deep freezers and even fishponds and tanks for selling live fish and prawns etc.

Under the Central scheme Rs 40 lakh subsidy will be extended to society which will have to invest Rs 10 lakh as its share and the remaining Rs 40 lakh as loan from the commercial banks or the society can invest the entire Rs 60 lakh as its share and avail the Rs 40 lakh subsidy from the government. The aqua-culture hub will supply the sea and river food to all corners of the district. Those fish traders from different parts of the district can transport their sea and river food to their fish sale counters spread over the entire district.

The Fisheries department primarily identified a place close to HLC canal located at the vicinity of Fisheries office itself. It also visited the Singanamala Tank, the largest one in the district in the Singanamala constituency. Some fisheries societies in Singanamala evinced interest but after studying the magnitude of activity as the chief supplier of the sea and river fish products backed out. A few more from other regions possessing land are planning to try their luck by registering a new society for the cause and are exploring possibilities in this regard.

Fisheries Department in-charge deputy director Shamalamma told The Hans India that the objective of the government is mainly to make fresh sea and river food available to people in all districts and places which does not have access to sea food. The idea is to make even live fish and prawns and crabs available to people.

Another reason is to popularise sea and river food as they are highly nutritious and free from negative fats. Even mobile fish sales outlets can straight away carry their products on wheels to any place and destination of their choice and supply them to consumers at their doorsteps. Fisheries Societies have hailed the government initiative as a boon to the fish farmers community as well as to fish consumers.