Paradip fishing harbour growth plan brings cheers to fishermen

By Express News Service
BHUBANESWAR/PARADIP: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement to develop Paradip as a contemporary fishing harbour and fishing touchdown centre has introduced cheers to native fishermen. 

In her price range speech, Sitharaman mentioned, “Five major fishing harbours – Kochi in Kerala, Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Paradip in Odisha, and Petuaghat in West Bengal will be developed as hubs for economic activity. We will also develop inland fishing harbours and fish-landing centres along the banks of rivers and waterways.” 

The built-in fishery harbour constructed by Paradip Port Trust (PPT) was commissioned in 1998. It is being managed by the Fisheries division of Odisha authorities since 2011. The fishing harbour is positioned on the appropriate financial institution of Mahanadi, about one km upstream of the river mouth. For easy navigation of fishing vessels, PPT accomplished dredging of the river mouth in February 2020.

Hailing the transfer, the native fishermen sought higher amenities for export of fish to different international locations from the harbour. The harbour, which was granted Export Inspection Agency (EIA) standing in 2018, has not but been in a position to receive the Euro normal certification, required to spice up fish export, regardless of being eligible for a similar. Union chief of Odisha Marine Fish Producers Association Rashmiranjan Panda mentioned round 4,000-5,000 tonne fish is caught at Paradip on a regular basis. But owing to absence of vessels, containers, storage amenities and different infrastructure, the fishermen depend upon harbours at Chennai and Visakhapatnam to export their catch. 

Further, within the absence of clear demarcation of the fishing zone, crossing the Mahanadi river mouth has develop into an uphill process for round 700 deep-sea fishing trawlers and a couple of,000 medium sized vessels that enterprise into the ocean on a regular basis.