The Seafood Exporters' Association has called on the state to boost aquaculture by using Pradhan Manthri Matsya Sampadha Yojana funding to encourage cage culture in coastal areas and to establish hatcheries to provide quality seeds.
Alex K. Ninan, the Association's Kerala region president, says that fish and shrimp producers can be included in the crop insurance scheme for farmers. He went on to say that fishermen should be given funds to modernize their boats, as well as a diesel subsidy.
Among the demands made by the Association are the development and modernization of fishing harbors, as well as the establishment of common effluent treatment plants for the shrimp peeling sector.
The value of marine product exports of the Country hit 47,200 crores in 2021, a 25% increase over the previous year. Shrimp exports alone accounted for almost 65 percent of all export revenues.
According to the Association, Kerala's share of exports might be boosted by using its aquaculture potential.
According to the Association, Kerala was the number one state for seafood exports from the 1950s until mid-2005. However, the state fell to fifth place, with Andhra Pradesh topping the list. Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal are all the other states at the top of the list. According to the Association, the seafood industry employed the most people in the state, with jobs related to fishing, peeling, processing, ice plants, and harbors.
According to the Association, the depletion of wild catch or catch from the sea has resulted in processing facilities in Kerala relying mostly on cultured shrimp from other States, the landed cost of which was making it impossible for the plants to function. Rising costs have also affected the competitiveness of the industry in the worldwide market.
