Tamil Nadu - Tuticorin   

Insulated ice boxes given to fishermen

BOON:M.C. Nandeesha, Dean, FCRI, distributing ice box to fishermen at Aalanthalai coastal village in Tuticorin district on Tuesday.

Tuticorin: To promote hygienic handling of fish and to maintain the quality of fishery products, insulated ice boxes were given to fishermen belonging to Alandhalai, coastal hamlet near Tiruchendur here, on Tuesday.

As per the requirements of the fishermen of the village, suitable modifications were introduced.

Twenty-five insulated ice boxes were given.

Presiding over the launch of trial operation programme on the use of insulated ice box, M.C. Nandeesha, Dean, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tuticorin, a constituent of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), Chennai, said that during the shrimp season of June, July, August and September 2010, trial operation would be carried out to acknowledge feedback from the fishermen.

The design of the programme would be submitted to the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, New Delhi. With the support of Ministry of Food Processing Industries, funds to the tune of Rs.14.98 lakh were earmarked to implement the project.

K. Rathnakumar, Associate Professor, would be the Principal Investigator of this project.

Speaking to The Hinduhere on Tuesday, Dr. Nandeesha said the Department of Fisheries through the Tamil Nadu Apex Co-operative Federation for Fisheries (TAFCOFED) would set out the details and familiarise the advantages of modified bags.

The final design would be submitted to Fisheries Department of all maritime states and to the Central Government agencies for adoption.

The study in the present scenario would also help the artisan fishermen to fetch good prices for their shrimp catch, which could be sold in premium condition without any quality problem (post harvest contamination, damages and spoilage) to the processor, who, in turn, could export the product meeting the international standards.

He expressed the hope that the outcome of the results would certainly help preserve the overall quality when stored in melted ice water.

“During shrimp season, each catamaran brings 20 kilograms of shrimps worth Rs.8, 000 on average a day.Due to non-icing, spoilage accounts for two kilograms of catch, thus incurring a loss of Rs.800.”

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