The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : New marketing avenues for domestic fishing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 13, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

New marketing avenues for domestic fishing

By Shakeel M. Rasheed

VISAKHAPATNAM: The domestic market for seafood products is set to be redefined with the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) stepping in to promote them with an innovative mechanism.

While the major players in the seafood trade may have the comfort of price and assured market abroad, the traditional commercial ground reflects a disorganised picture, fetching neither a good deal for the fishermen nor quality products for the consumers.

Gujarat example

Apparently drawing inspiration from the successful dairy movement in Gujarat and assessing the untapped potential of the domestic fish market, VUDA has drawn up a project for a similar campaign here for "promoting economic independence and self-employment opportunities'' through development of entrepreneurship skills among the fishermen community.

``The emphasis is essentially on self-employment opportunities for the fisherwomen,'' the Special Officer and Vice-Chairman of VUDA, D. Sreenivasulu said.

Fish outlets proposed

Enlisting the expertise of the Kochi-based Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) and the local Forum for Fisheries Professionals of India, VUDA has unfolded a plan for creating `fish outlets' supported by technology-backed centralised facility for collection of fish from the landing centres, handling and storing, transportation to a central place for value addition and distribution to various marketing avenues in the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region (VMR).

While the CIFT is expected to chip in with the technology for production of hygienic, value-added fish products, the Society of Fishery Technologists of India (SOFT), Kochi, which promotes the causes of fisheries and technology in this sector, has been invited to help implement the mechanism.

Dual benefits

Underscoring the potential of the domestic fish market, the president of Forum of Fisheries Professionals, K.R. Prasad, was confident that the project would create both demand and market. While consumers would benefit from easy availability of low-cost, protein-rich fish and value-added products in hygienic conditions, the fishermen, who otherwise are at the mercy of middlemen, would have the comfort of direct marketing opportunities, he pointed out.

Dr. Prasad was also hopeful of assured supplies to the proposed marketing network, given the flow of catches by the traditional fishing craft and the fact that for want of domestic market, large quantities of fish are dumped at Paradip by the deep sea fishing vessels and ultimately picked up by Kolkata and Bhubaneswar markets. "We are working at creating the marketing chain in 47 layouts identified in the initial phase of the project,'' he added.

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