Chandrababu Naidu lays foundation for two key aqua facilities in Vizag

Vizag: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that utilising abundant marine and 1,000-km long coast line wealth, the coastal Andhra Pradesh would be developed into an aqua hub.

The Chief Minister laid foundation stones in online mode for two aquatic quarantine facilities to be established at a cost of Rs 50 crore at Nakkavanipalem village in the district.

The facilities are being developed by Marine Products Development Authority (MPEDA) and the Andhra Pradesh government. Vannamei, Prawn Brood Stock Multiplication Centre and Aquatic Quarantine Facility will be established at Nakkavanipalem in Nakkapalli mandal under Payakaraopeta Assembly constituency.

Speaking on the occasion, Naidu said that in prawn exports, Andhra Pradesh stood in the second place across the country and with the support of the exports the state is moving to achieve double digit growth. During 2016-17, the India exported Rs 37,000 crore worth marine products, of which AP share accounted for Rs 17,000 crore.

The state had brought a new fishing policy in 2015, aiming to achieve 42 lakh tonne marine exports which support the government revenues to the tune of Rs 80,000 crore by 2020, Naidu said. The aqua farmers are presently bringing the stocks from Tamil Nadu as no quality shrimp is being developed in the facilities.

However, with these new facilities, the state government is ensuring high qualitative shrimp and revenues of the fishermen would also increase, the Chief Minister, said. He said the state government is also taking several steps to stop the pollution in the blue waters and directed all the coastal district administrations to initiate stringent action on those polluting the blue waters.