Puducherry, Feb 13 (IANS) Puducherry is set to reposition its traditional fishing community at the heart of a modern, export-driven marine economy, with Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Friday outlining an ambitious plan to transform fishers into entrepreneurs and global seafood exporters.

Addressing the valedictory session of the two-day International Workshop on Marine Fisheries Value Chain in the Bay of Bengal Region with Puducherry as the destination, the Chief Minister said a combination of Central and Union Territory schemes would fundamentally change the way the fisheries sector operates.

“Fishermen will no longer be confined to merely catching and selling fish. They will become business owners and international exporters,” Rangasamy said, pointing to initiatives such as the Integrated Port Development Scheme and the Fisheries Processing Cluster.

He added that Puducherry’s seafood, known for its taste and nutritional quality, has strong demand in both domestic and overseas markets.

The workshop, jointly organised by the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) and the Government of Puducherry in association with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, National Fisheries Development Board and Environmental Defence India Foundation, focused on value addition, processing technology and market linkages.

A comprehensive roadmap to develop Puducherry into a high-value marine export hub was also presented to the Chief Minister.

BOBP Director Dr P. Krishnan said Puducherry already outperforms national benchmarks, with an average per-trip yield of 6,095 kg—more than double the national average—and over half its vessels equipped with engines above 140 HP.

However, he noted that nearly 43 per cent of the fish catch leaves the Union Territory without value addition due to weak cold chain systems, high ice costs and infrastructure gaps.

The roadmap flagged welfare concerns too, including low subsidies compared to actual costs, inadequate insurance coverage, limited ban-season compensation and poor safety equipment.

It also called for greater support to women, noting that 24 fisherwomen cooperative societies with over 15,000 members are already active.

Fisheries Minister K. Lakshminarayanan described the forum as a platform that would create new employment opportunities and help local fishers compete with multinational seafood firms.

FAO official Angela Lentisco and Fisheries Director A. Mohamed Ismail also addressed the gathering, emphasising sustainable and inclusive growth for the sector.

–IANS

aal/uk