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Marine Exports Authority yet to be set up
Turning a deaf ear to the experts who have been recommending promotion of fishing harbours on AP’s 972-km coastline for generation of employment as well as increasing marine exports, the State government is pursuing other projects which have lesser potential in creating jobs and earning foreign exchange for India.
Visakhapatnam: Turning a deaf ear to the experts who have been recommending promotion of fishing harbours on AP’s 972-km coastline for generation of employment as well as increasing marine exports, the State government is pursuing other projects which have lesser potential in creating jobs and earning foreign exchange for India.
Though the State government is having ambitious plans to exploit second longest coastline after Gujarat, surprisingly it is not focussing on developing fishing harbours.
Highlights:
- A high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary was constituted over year ago
- The committee is expected to recommend to the govt to set up such authority
- However, the first meeting of the committee has not been convened so far
- There is a huge potential for export of seafood from the State as it has 972-km coastline
- After Gujarat, AP is registering second highest marine exports in the country
- Experts opine that seafood exports from the State will touch Rs 20,000 crore within five years if minor ports and harbours are developed between Nellore and Visakhapatnam
The State is having another unique feature that huge extent of land is also available to develop port based development activities.
In fact, after Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh is registering second highest marine exports in the country. However, except Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour, there are no developed fishing harbours. There are nine nature blessed areas on the coastline to develop harbours/ports in the State.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu already announced that an exclusive Marine Exports Authority would be established in the State to promote marine exports and to ensure large number of employment opportunities. A high-level committee has been constituted headed by Chief Secretary. Even after completion of one year of setting up the committee, its first meeting is yet to be convened.
"In Gujarat, the government has established Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) and has been successfully developing minor ports and promoting marine exports in a bigger way. During the Congress tenure, AP’s maritime policy was prepared and it was shelved. The MPEDA envisages export of maritime products across the country. There is a huge demand for vannamei prawn and black tiger shrimp, mangrove crab and tilapia and several other seafood items in the International market.
During at the International Seafood Expo held in Vizag in September last year, we have explained about the growth and demand on the seafood exports. However, there is no further response from the State government," a senior official of MPEDA lamented.
It is surprising that AP government has not set up such board. Once the board is set up and sanctioned powers, the seafood exports and cooked and packed food processing industry can be developed in the State. The USA continued to be major importer of Indian seafood with a share of almost 29 per cent in terms USD.
During 2016-17, the US imported 1,53,695 MT of seafood from India. Except the overcrowded Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour, there are no developed harbours in the State.
If, the government developed minor ports and harbours with all modern facilities from Nellore to Srikakulam, the exports will touch Rs 20,000 crore in just five years and thousands of jobs can be generated, a senior official of the Fisheries Department said.
When asked about the meeting of the high-level committee to set up AP Maritime Authority, Chairman, Visakhapatnam Port Trust, M T Krishna Babu, who is also one of the members, said that the first meeting of the committee has not been convened so far. "Not only seafood exports, there is huge potential for ready to cook food.
We can prepare Ranga Charu (Rasam powder from prawns), Nettallu, Royyapodi (it is non-veg karampodi) and some pickles with fish and prawn. We have approached the government several times to set up seafood processing unit in Vizag, but there is no proactive response from the officials.
If, there is an exclusive authority to review and take spot decisions more seafood related industries will come up," city based women entrepreneur who presently lives in Dubai K Anupama told The Hans India.
A state-owned maritime authority and policy is needed to develop the marine exports. Since a long time, we have been asking the government to set up AP Maritime Authority/Board, Managing Director of Sravan Shipping G Sambasiva Rao said.
By Vkl Gayatri
