“The proposed port will spell doom to the shrimp hatcheries catering to the needs of farmers in Andhra Pradesh. Therefore, the proposal should be given up,” said L Satyanarayana, President of the All-India Shrimp Hatcheries’ Association.
In a representation sent to the Union Agriculture Ministry, he said the Andhra Pradesh Government had prepared a plan to construct several minor ports in the State including the one likely to be set up in the KSEZ area, reports the HinduBusinessLine.
He said that there were already three ports from Visakhapatnam to Kakinada - Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram and Kakinada - and therefore, there was no need to set up another port in the Thondangi mandal.
Industries that will come up in the KSEZ area could make use of these ports and, if necessary, ports such as Krishnapatnam and another major port coming up at Dugarajapatnam in Nellore district.
He said there were already 100-odd shrimp hatcheries functioning in the 50-km stretch from Kakinada in the mandals of Kakinada rural, Uppada and Thondangi in East Godavari district.
These hatcheries were functioning for years and they were supplying shrimp seed to farmers in AP, which is the number one State in the country in the export of cultured shrimp.
Therefore, he said, it would be more appropriate declare the area a national hub of shrimp hatcheries and protect it.
