Fish auction monitoring cells of Matsyafed have been inaugurated at Puthiappa harbour and Chaliyam fish-landing centre as part of the government’s initiatives to help fishermen earn more by directly selling their catch, avoiding middlemen.
Under this arrangement, fish auction will be conducted through fishermen’s primary cooperatives. This will help them get a fair price for their catch and also avoid paying commission to middlemen and private fish vendors.
One-and-a-half per cent of the auction amount will be held back as savings of fishermen groups attached to primary cooperatives. This amount will be made available for purchasing implements later. Auction monitoring cells have been functioning at Chombal, Vadakara, and Koyilandi, and soon will be introduced in all districts so that fish marketing could be through fishermen’s cooperatives.
At present, 89 groups attached to 18 societies are conducting auctions for marketing fish in Chombal,Vadakara, and Koyilandi. M. Adimakkannu, administrative committee member of Maltyafed, inaugurated the auction monitoring cells at Puthiappa and Chaliyam.
