Kota Srinivas Poojary, Minister for Ports and Fisheries, and Muzrai, said on Saturday that the State government was committed to drawing up a fisheries policy and implementing it to protect the interests of the fishermen .
He was speaking after inaugurating a workshop on fisheries and distributing various facilities to the beneficiaries, organised by the Department of Fisheries and the Udupi Zilla Panchayat, here.
Mr. Poojary said that the workshop was being held by the Department so that the fishermen could know about its programmes and schemes.
There were two types of fisheries – sea fisheries and inland fisheries. The fishermen were facing several problems.
His Ministry was committed to giving a fillip to fisheries. But no new schemes or projects would be implemented without bringing them to the attention of the fishermen. All problems of the fishermen would be solved in phases, he said.
A list of guidelines needed to be prepared for the problems faced by the fishermen. Fishermen should involve themselves whole-heartedly in fishing, he said.
The government had acquired 34 acres of land for the construction of a fisheries harbour at Hejmady in Udupi district. The process of land acquisition for another 12 acres was under way, he said.
The harbour at Karwar would also be developed The Matsyagandhi scheme would be implemented in 11 places in the State, Mr. Poojary said.
K. Raghupati Bhat, MLA, Dinakar Babu, President of Zilla Panchayat, Sheela K. Shetty, Vice President, Neeta Gururaj, President of Udupi Taluk Panchayat, and others were present.
