The Fisheries Department in Nagapattinam has invited applications from fishermen for construction of new tuna long liner-cum-gillnetter utilising 50% subsidy to a maximum of Rs. 30 lakh. The beneficiaries should be joint owners (a group consisting of a maximum of six fishermen) or fisheries cooperative society or individual, an official press release said. Priority will be given to those who have not already availed subsidy under conversion of tuna long liner scheme of Tamil Nadu / Marine Products Exports Development Authority. With a view to diversify fishing operations and promote tuna fishing by the fishermen of Palk Bay area, the government has earmarked 60 per cent of the total subsidy for fishermen in the region. Priority is being given in the following order: group with replacement of trawler (weightage will be given to the replacement of number of trawlers), individual with replacement of trawler, fishermen co-operative society, group without replacement of trawler, and individual without replacement of trawler. The back-ended subsidy is released in three stages: on completion of construction of hull; on completion and purchase and installation of engine, erection of equipment / machinery; and procurement of fishing gears including gill net and long line and on registration of the craft with completion certificate issued by Regional Scrutiny and Monitoring Committee. The applications could be downloaded fromwww.fisheries.tn.gov.inor obtained from the offices of JD/DD/AD Fisheries on working days. The original drawing of the model of the tuna longliner obtained from Naval Archiect must be furnished. The filled-in applications with the model of the drawing must be sent to the Director of Fisheries, Integrated Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Building, Nandanam, Chennai – 600 015, before March 15, the release said.