Govt to invest Rs 150 crore for Andaman Tuna Industry

Port Blair, July 7 (UNI) The Centre would invest Rs 150 crore for developing infrastructure for fishing industry, especially Tuna, in remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

It had taken the decision, considering the unexplored Tuna resources in the Andaman Sea.

'' Tuna is an important economic resource of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which must be utilised for the people here to provide employment to local people, '' Minister of state for Commerce anf Industry Jairam Ramesh told reporters here today.

The minister said India was looking forward to developing Tuna fishing industry in these islands for having a diversified export basket and local value addition of the remote Indian islands.

Out of Rs 150 crore, Rs 95 crore would be spent on 19 fish landing stations, while Rs 10 crore would be spent for cold storage.

Nearly Rs 50 crore would be spent in developing a fisheries harbour, location of which is to be decided by the state government yet, he added.

Ramesh said the Tuna industry should be developed in the archipelago in such a way that local people get maximum benefit and not the people living in other parts of the country, Ramesh said.

'' The Marine Pruducts Export Development Authority (MPEDA) had been given responsibilities to prepare a detailed action plan for developing Tuna export industry in Andaman. The Action plan would be ready by October,'' the minister said.

He said there is also a move to develop Port Blair as an International airport with direct connectivity with locations like Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai and Frankfurt, so that export industries flourish in this remote Indian territory.

He further said the total revenue earned from Tuna export in 2006-2007 was only 20 million dollars, out of a total export of 1.8 billion dollars, which according to him is 'negligible'.

He opined that there is huge potential for exporting Tuna in these islands.

Marine fish is one of the major natural resources of the Islands.

which have a coastline of 1,912 kms and the Exclusive Economic Zone around the islands measuring about six lakh sq kms accounting for 28 per cent of the total EEZ of the country.

Out of the total population of 3.56 lakhs, about 2,500 full time fishermen and 400 part-time fishermen are engaged in marine fishing.

UNI