BIG PAY-OFF: A major Tuna catch at the Visakhaptbam Harbour. Tuna is a highly migratory species each weighing about 50 kg.

VISAKHAPATANAM: The Ministry of Agriculture is toying with the idea of setting up tuna parks on an experimental basis to increase revenue from seafood exports.

Association of Indian Fisheries Industries president T.M. Choudary, who made a presentation to Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar sometime ago, said on Tuesday the parks could be located at Chennai, Kochi and Mumbai.

Infrastructure

Mr. Pawar agreed to establish parks with tanning, processing and other required infrastructure on the lines of the AP Shrimp Seed Production, Supply and Research Centre, he told The Hindu .

He said despite a meagre investment of not more than Rs.5 crores per unit, the returns would be on an average Rs.12 crores a year from each unit by processing tuna for 200 days. As entrepreneurs in the country were yet to equip themselves with the required technology, the parks would certainly usher in a tuna revolution, he said.

Overexploitation

With shrimp-centric approach proving disastrous due to depleting catch and fluctuating prices in the international market and curbs imposed in the United States and the European Union on the Indian consignments, now the exporters were focusing on tuna.

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), in a study, found that tuna catch targeted and achieved (sustainable yellow fin tuna) was close $10 billion.

"India has the largest sustainable tuna potential notwithstanding the fact that it is not a stakeholder in IOTC. We are only reduced into mere signatories," Mr. Chaudary bemoaned.

The interest shown by the industry to diversity into long-liners is not that impressive due to various factors.

Though India began its dating with tuna in 1980s, its share in world market is just like a drop in an ocean.

Migratory species

Tuna is a highly migratory species each weighing about 50 kg. It moves very fast and its meat is considered highly nutritious and good for curing various diseases. It keeps itself afloat 24 hours as it does not have a gladder.

To keep itself active, it the equivalent to 60 per cent of its weight every day.

According to Marine Product Exports Development Authority, Atlantic Ocean has 66 per cent of world's tuna catch followed by 23 per cent in Pacific Ocean and 11 per cent in Indian Ocean.

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