Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh aims to up its share in marine exports by 10%

Visakhapatnam : Andhra Pradesh aims at reaching 50 per cent of the total marine exports next from its present contribution of 40 per cent. After the completion of the proposed nine fishing harbours at an estimated cost of Rs 3,502.57 crore in the state, the blue economy of Andhra Pradesh is poised to get a big boost.

Apparently, it will increase fish landing and employment opportunities among the fishermen communities. Besides handling about 10,000 vessels across the state, the new fishing harbours in AP will help create direct and indirect employment opportunities for the fisher folk community, including jobs in harbour operations, maintenance, fish processing, transportation and allied sectors.

Speaking to The Hans India, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Seediri Appalaraju, said, "The new harbours will anchor about 10,521 motorised crafts and mechanised fishing vessels, generating a total of 1.21 lakh direct and indirect employment. With this, the total potential fish landings would be 4.02 lakh tonnes per annum with an expected gross value addition to the state through GSDP to the tune of Rs 8,038 crore."

The government plans to construct a cold storage facility, fish handling, and auction hall, fish loading area, fishermen’s gear shed, net mending sheds, boat repair shops, etc. in the harbours.

The major features of Juvvaladinne Port harbour include a fleet size of 1,250 fishing vessels comprising 1,000 numbers of 9-m length motorised, 100 numbers of each of 12 and 15-meter mechanised fishing vessels (MFV), 50 numbers of 24-meter Tuna Liners besides 50 non- motorized boats.

Kothapatnam of Prakasam district harbour will be able to handle 820 boats at a time. Once completed, the envisaged fish landing at the harbour will be 28,700 tonnes per annum.

Currently, Uppada of Kakinada can berth only 200 boats. The development of the new harbour aims at accommodating a fleet of 2,500 fishing vessels.

There is a need to develop fishery harbour phase II at Nizampatnam of Guntur harbour due to overcrowding and increase in the size of the fleet as well as number of MFVs and non-availability of harbour infrastructure facilities for all the fishing vessels. The new fishing harbour could handle a total fishing fleet of 1,600 fishing boats and expected annual fish landing of 72,000 tonnes.

As a part of the phase II development of Machilipatnam in Krishna district, the new harbour aims to accommodate a total of 550 fishing vessels. The new harbour will have a fish landing capacity of 23,500 tonnes per annum.

Sharing details, Advisor to Government (Industries and Commerce) Sridhar Lanka mentions that efforts are on to complete the harbours in a time bound manner. "Andhra Pradesh Fisheries University for which Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy laid foundation stone in Narsapuram will be a gamechanger for the fisheries sector and for those who are largely dependent on aquaculture," he says.