K'taka government to take up dredging work in fishing ports

Malpe, Karnataka, Jul 15 (UNI) Karnataka Fisheries Minister B Nagaraja Shetty today disclosed that the long pending dredging work of all fisheries ports in the coastal Karnataka would be commence from September this year.

Speaking after inaugurating 70 KL Diesel tank and pump, High mast lights and distributing other facilities to the fishermen at the fisheries port here he said that the state government had already set apart Rs five crore and the Centre was coming up with a matching grant. In a bid to make fisheries ports into all weather ports, the government had decided to take up the dredging works in September without any further delay, he said.

Mr. Shetty said that the senior officials from the World Bank who had recently met the Fisheries Director have discussed about need for changing the design to reduce the length of the fisheries boats.

Smaller boats had the advantage getting higher catch. Spurt in the numbers of fishing boats in the recent years had led to poor fish catch, he added.

UNI