Holding that “jungle law” was in force in aquaculture sector in the State, Commissioner of Fisheries Department Ram Shankar Naik on Tuesday said the department was keen on providing technical support to aqua farmers to help them reduce losses.
Participating as the chief guest at a workshop on the ‘Training Needs and Harmonisation of Aqua Lab Operations in Andhra Pradesh’ held at the State Institute of Fisheries Technology here, Mr. Naik said there was no discipline among aqua farmers, and that most of them did not adhere to government norms. “Diseases are being diagnosed in one fish tank or the other with frequent intervals. Though the department is providing technological support to farmers, there are very few takers,” he observed.
Mr. Naik said the government had recognised fisheries as one of the growth engines and a means to achieve double digit growth.
“There is vast potential to increase revenues, for which there is a need for all aqua farmers to fall in line and follow guidelines. From our side, we are focusing on addressing long-pending problems including the licensing system,” he added. He said he was personally interacting with farmers in coastal districts to garner information about ground realities.
“The government is ready to allocate funds to this sector. We are on the job of chalking out a comprehensive plan to make optimum use of the resources available,” he added. East Godavari District Collector H. Arun Kumar said there was huge potential for development of fisheries in the district, and that plans were afoot to simplify norms to accord permission for converting agriculture lands for aquaculture purposes.
He added that the idea was to encourage fishing in tail-end lands, which were not suitable for paddy cultivation in delta areas. Joint Director of Fisheries M. Basava Raju and SIFT In-charge Principal V. Venkateswara Rao were present.
There is vast potential to increase revenues, for which there is a need for all aqua farmers to fall in line and follow govt. guidelines.
Ram Shankar Naik,
Commissioner of Fisheries Dept.
