Senior Officers of Fisheries Department, Governing Body Member of NFDB and Different Representatives of Fisheries Organisations Visits Shaheed Dweep

Tarun Karthick

Port Blair, 11 February 2023

Mr. Piyush S Vijay Karan, Director of Fisheries, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Mr. S U Maheswar Rao, Governing Body Member, National Fisheries Development Board, Mr. J P Tiwari, Assistant Engineer, Fisheries Department, Mr. D Eswar Rao, Secretary, Fish Market Association and Mr. Abdul Mazeed, Secretary, Island Fisheries Cooperative Society Ltd. lately visited Shaheed Dweep to redress the grievances of the Fishermen Community.

Neil Kendra Fishermen Welfare Forum had written a letter to the Director of Fisheries with their calls for and grievances earlier.

During the go to, the delegation visited numerous locations at Shaheed Dweep and interacted with the Fishermen Community.

The Fishermen Community requested the delegation {that a} 5-10 MT Ice Plant and Cold Storage be constructed at Shaheed Dweep. There are not any Ice Plants or Cold Storage in Shaheed Dweep. The demand for fish within the Island has elevated manifold, and the fishermen are pressured to catch and promote the fish on the identical day because of the non-availability of Ice Plant and Cold Storage. The Fishermen Community had requested {that a} 5-10 MT Ice Plant and Cold Storage be constructed at Shaheed Dweep beneath Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMSSY) by the Fisheries Department. 

The Fishermen Community additionally requested renovation of the prevailing fish market at Shaheed Dweep, which is in a really dangerous state. They additionally demanded the extension of the fish market to accommodate extra fishermen. 

The fishermen additionally demanded bathroom blocks at Fish Landing Centre and on the Fish Market. They additionally demanded that the Fish Landing Centre and Jetty be completely used for Fishing functions and no tourism-related exercise needs to be allowed on the Jetty.

The Director assured to look into all calls for and grievances of the Fishermen Community of Shaheed Dweep.