College of Fisheries in city seeks university tag

October 27, 2020 01:01 am | Updated 01:01 am IST - MANGALURU

The College of Fisheries in Mangaluru.

The College of Fisheries in Mangaluru.

College of Fisheries, Mangaluru, that celebrated the golden jubilee of its inception last year, has urged the State government to declare it as a university so as to take the State to new heights in the fisheries sector thereby generating considerable revenue. College Dean A. Senthil Vel made this proposal at a review meeting chaired by Minister for Ports and Fisheries Kota Srinivas Poojari here on Monday. “The demand is not just for the growth of the institution but also for the overall growth of the fisheries sector in the State,” he said, assuring the government of the larger entity taking the State to the top position in terms of revenues from the fisheries sector.

The college that was with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, was brought under the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Sciences University, Bidar, in 2005. “Consequently, fisheries has remained isolated and is neither getting attention nor funds,” Prof. Vel said, pointing out at resources on the 75-acres campus lying in disuse.

While the institution is the only fisheries college in the State, Prof. Vel said that Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andra Pradesh already have a fisheries university each. Maharashtra has four fisheries colleges, he said.

Professor in the Department of Aquatic Environment Management of the college A.T. Ramachandra Nayak said that the proposed university can run diploma and polytechnic courses too. Opening of Fish Information Centres of the university in different parts of the State will help in effectively reaching out to fishermen. New departments in climate change, remote sensing and artificial intelligence, fisheries business management and Pharmacology and Toxicology will go a long way in addressing emerging issues in the fisheries sector, he said.

Concurring with the demand, Mr. Poojari asked the college to place the proposal before the Secretary to the Fisheries Department. “Make it a point to explain how this university will make a difference in changing the fortune of the State in the fisheries sector,” he said and added, “I have all hopes that the proposal will be approved by the Cabinet.”

Mr. Poojari asked the institution to help the State government in strengthening the Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation. The institution should come up with effective means of dredging estuaries.

Managing Director of KFDC M.L. Doddamani and Deputy Director of Fisheries Parshwanath were present.

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