Take measures for welfare of fishing communities, Centre urged

New Delhi: YSR Congress Party MPs on Wednesday, submitted a letter to Union Fisheries Minister Parshottam Rupalato to bring his attention to the various issues that have been plaguing Andhra Pradesh and sought his intervention ensuring the speedy resolution of these issues for the welfare of the fishing communities in the State.

The letter was signed by 21 YSRCP MPs representing Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In the letter, the YSRCP MPs pressed upon nine issues including: Extending financial assistance for the opening of sandbar north of Pulicat Lake near Rayadaruvu, sanctioning funds for the development of shore facilities for marine fisheries and setting up fish landing centres under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, establishing Regional Centre of Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture in Andhra Pradesh, declaring Visakhapatnam Airport as Port of Entry to import L vannamei broodstock for the proposed Aquatic Quarantine Facility (AQF) and establishing an Aquatic Quarantine Certification Service (AQCS) unit office in Visakhapatnam.

The demands also included the following: Formulating and implementing an aquaculture insurance policy, providing compensation to fishermen for loss of work during naval events, implementing a national DBT scheme for fishermen during the annual fishing ban period, providing greater funding assistance for the development of fisheries harbours under phase II in Andhra Pradesh and devising a mechanism for repatriation of fishermen abroad.