Challenges faced by seafood exporters
The Government is taking various measures to address the issues of seafood exporters wherever feasible. Based on the information received from concerned agencies, after delisting of 14 establishments by European Commission (EC) on account of presence of banned antibiotics in the seafood consignments exported to European Union (EU) in 2017 and 2018, Export Inspection Council (EIC) has been pursuing this issue at various platforms with EC who has agreed to permit the sea caught fishery products to begin with. To prevent the use of banned antibiotics in aquaculture and their detection in export consignments, a number of measures have been taken through State Governments, Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA), Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and EIC.
In case of market access related issues in fisheries sector, need based interventions are made appropriately with the importing countries. Besides, realizing the immense scope for development of fisheries and aquaculture, the Department of Fisheries is implementing an umbrella Scheme of Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries with an outlay of Rs. 3000 crore for five years since 2015-16 for a focused development and management of the fisheries sector and to increase both fish production and fish productivity from aquaculture and fisheries resources. This Scheme has a provision of financial assistance to the State Governments/State Agencies, Union Territories and Central Government Agencies/Organisations and dovetailing funds available under the Sagarmala Scheme of Ministry of Shipping for development of new fishing harbours, fish landing centres and up-gradation/expansion/repair/renovation of the existing ones. Besides, the Government has created the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) during 2018-19 with a fund size of Rs. 7,522.48 crores spreading over a period of five years. Further the Government, in its Union Budget 2019-20 has announced a new scheme the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for focused development of fisheries sector.
This information was given in a written reply by the Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi, in Rajya Sabha today.