Vizag to house first aqua bazaar

Visakhapatnam: In a state that has the longest coastline, 13 modern aqua bazaars are going to be facilitated.

Initiated as a part of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, each district will house an aqua bazaar across Andhra Pradesh. To boost fish consumption and improve the livelihood of fishermen community, the facility is provided with a subsidy of 60 per cent.

These aqua bazaars are divided into four sections – ice fish, live fish vending centre, prawn and frozen sections along with a dressing section to clean and pack the product. "Marking the World Fisheries Day, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is virtually inaugurating the first facility in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. Soon, fish drying platforms and net vending apparatus will also be made available for the fishermen community," says K Phani Prakash, joint director of fisheries.

In Visakhapatnam district where there is a coastline of 132 km, the maiden aqua bazaar is getting ready for the launch at a cost of Rs 10 lakh at RTC complex. The district houses 63 fishing villages, 23 cold storages and 15 processing plants in the district and the new aqua bazaar will give a fillip to the fisheries sector.

This apart, proposals are being submitted to the government to modernise the fishing harbour at a cost of Rs 100 crore and facilitate a new fishing harbour in Atchutapuram at a cost of Rs 300 crore.

With a slew of amenities in place, the state is all set to witness a considerable increase in the fish consumption in future.