Rs 49.54 cr fishing ban compensation distributed

Kakinada: As part of the Matsyakara Seva Programme, a sum of Rs 49.54 crore has been directly credited to the bank accounts of 24,769 eligible fishermen beneficiaries in the district, informed Kakinada District In-Charge collector Rahul Meena. Each beneficiary received Rs 20,000 as compensation during the annual fishing ban period, he said.

Rahul Meena officially launched the compensation distribution programme at the Kakinada Collectorate. This programme was organised by the District Fisheries Department.

Speaking on the occasion, the collector explained that the Bay of Bengal experiences the breeding season for various fish species from April to June.

To protect marine biodiversity, the state government imposes a two-month fishing ban every year from April 15 to June 14. He further added that recognising the livelihood challenges faced by fishermen during this period, the government had increased the compensation amount from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per person.

Kakinada City MLA Vanamadi Kondababu, MLC Karri Padmashri, Fisheries Department Officer Krishna Rao, and leaders of Fishermen’s societies participated in this meeting.