The Aquaculture business in Andhra Pradesh has crossed Rs.11,000 crore and is likely to get doubled by 2016, said Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy while interacting with students of the Fisheries Polytechnic College at Bhavadevarapalli in Krishna district on Saturday.
The fish exports alone touched Rs.3,500 crore in the current financial year in the State and Rs.280 crore will be spent to encourage aquaculture and doubling the fish production by 2016”, the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Reddy promised students better employment opportunities in aquaculture. He enquired about the higher education opportunities in fisheries and scope for research in the wake of flourishing aquaculture in Krishna-Godavari Delta.
“The students should take up research in fisheries to tap the opportunities and become part of the developing fish trade,” said Mr. Reddy. He listened to a few students of the college. Students and college teaching staff complained to the Chief Minister about the lack of facilities to pursue undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in fisheries.
They demanded setting up of Fisheries College in any coastal Andhra district to cater to the need of students from the region. Responding to the appeal, the Chief Minister promised students of discussions with Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University to increase the number of seats in Bachelor of Fisheries Science in College of Fisheries, Nellore.
The issue of setting up new college would also be considered, he added. First year students Krishnaveni and Sunitha expressed their happiness at lucrative opportunities available for them in corporate sector soon after the completion of the two-year polytechnic course.
