The Fisheries Department will host "theera sadassu" at 47 designated locations in the coastal constituencies, a public interaction program designed to engage with residents of the coastal region, hear their concerns, and take appropriate action in addition to promoting the government's development and welfare initiatives among fishermen.
According to a statement made by the minister of fisheries, Saji Cherian, the programme will be held from April 24 to May 28 with involvement from heads of several agencies and members of the general public. The programme will be formally launched on April 23 at Pozhiyoor in Thiruvananthapuram by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Even though the fisheries sector in Kerala, though not lagging in performance, still faces serious challenges. These include socio-economic issues like lower levels of income for the fishermen. They face fewer catches per unit effort, exploitation of marine resources, unsustainable harvesting, and lowered protection against climate change hazards. The drastic changes in the temperatures of the sea; leading to gradual warming have caused the abundance of fish to drop.
This also means that the dwindling fish supply caused the prices to increase, disrupting household budgets.
The "theera sadassu" gathering is intended to serve as a comprehensive forum for examining the difficulties and complaints of the coastal community and developing solutions. The program's first phase will involve discussions with local representatives of each region about its problems and potential for growth.
The programme will attempt to address problems immediately after hearing them, much like Adalat. Also, it will listen to complaints and ideas and, if any rewards exist, distribute them at the event. Aside from celebrating the local talents of each coastal region, the programme will also feature the screening of brief promotional films that describe the government's involvement in the fishing industry and the development initiatives of the coastal region.
