The Union government has given GPS devices to 5,000 Tamil Nadu fishermen, minister of state for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying L Murugan said on Monday. The devices would help track fishermen out at sea and warn them when they cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), he said at a function here, adding that they would also help prevent incidents where Indian fishermen are detained by Sri Lankan naval forces.
After launching the second phase of National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases, Union minister for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, Parshottam Rupala said that the first phase, launched in 2013 and ended in 2022, involved researchers identifying aquatic animal diseases and finding solutions, in the second phase, suggestions of all stakeholders would be taken and improvements made.
On the genetic improvement programme of Indian white shrimp (Penaeus indicus), he said currently most hatcheries buy brood stock of American white shrimp L vannamei, which is pathogen free, and export it after raising it.
But, with hatchery owners wanting species diversity, the Central Institute of Brackish Water Aquaculture has successfully optimized breeding protocol and demonstrated culture potential across different geographic locations in coastal states, using indigenous feed for Indian white shrimp. Recognising this initiative, the Union government sanctioned the genetic improvement programme and allocated ₹25 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.
Union fisheries department secretary Jatindranath Swain said seaweed parks would come up in Ramanathapuram and Pudukottai districts of Tamil Nadu, with the Union government sanctioning ₹126 crore.