According to Expressbuzz, the annual average exports of marine products from the State are about 11,000 tonnes valued approximately at Rs 3.5 billion.
Although the State has 480-km coastline, the marine fish resources are not fully tapped due to lack of adoption of modern technology.
The Government proposed to enhance the capacity for deep sea fishing by supplying 5,000 fishing crafts with outboard motors (OBMs) and 1,000 crafts with inboard motors (IBMs) to 6,000 traditional fishermen to improve their income. Plans are afoot to introduce 100 intermediary crafts which will provide employment opportunities to 1,000 fishermen.
In its perspective plan for the next decade, the Fisheries Department has planned to provide 2,400 CNG kits to traditional fishermen for promoting ecofriendly fisheries and 5,000 insulated ice boxes for preservation of fish.
The Government proposed to spend over Rs 3 billion on infrastructure development, modernisation of marine fishing crafts and providing alternative livelihood to about 10,000 fishermen families affected by prolonged fishing ban by the authority.
As per the latest census, the fishermen population of the State is 10,840,000 of which 3,330,000 are engaged in marine fishing while the majority 7,510,000 of people are in the inland fishing business.
However, as per the latest survey of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, the State has active marine and inland fishermen of 2,420,000.
The Government proposed to set up at least two world class peeling and dressing centres at Paradip and Balasore for fish processing to enhance the fish products for the export market.
Government Plans To Treble Export Earnings
INDIA - The State Government has set an ambitious plan to increase the export earnings from marine and culture fisheries products by three times.
