At a time when toxic chemical-laced fish continues to threaten public health, Matsyafed is set to roll out a novel programme, “Shore to market,’’ for ensuring both better return to fishermen for their catch and safe fish for consumption. Under the programme, a cold chain will be set in motion whereby fish brought to the shore by fishermen will be collected at fishermen cooperatives from where vehicles of Matsyafed will deliver them at markets.
Fish booths, fish supermarkets, and regional fish markets would be used for the project, said Matsyafed chairman P.P. Chitharanjan at a press conference here on Wednesday. Already, 33 booths had been set up and four markets had been refurbished. Hundred more fish booths would be started at various locations as and when the local bodies concerned handed over land. Construction of five booths had already started.
The district offices of Matsyafed were being turned into fishermen-friendly centres for meeting their varied needs ranging from fuel bunks and Vyasa stores for fishing equipment to workshops.
The ground floor of such a fishermen-friendly centre in Ernakulam would be inaugurated by the Fisheries Minister on June 30. The construction work of the first floor would be launched on the occasion. Preliminary steps towards setting up similar centres in Kollam, Alappuzha, and Kasaragod districts had already been taken.
Fish markets in dilapidated conditions will be given a facelift using the funds of people’s representatives, local bodies and Matsyafed. Besides, a slew of measures such as mobile fish mart in Thiruvananthapuram, fish storage base station at Vizhinjam, four new fish marts, independent status to the base station in Kottayam, organisation of feast of fishes during festivals had also been undertaken during 2017-18 for distribution of safe fish.
Matsyafed is in the process of drawing up a master plan for the development of tourism projects at its fish farms at Njarakkal and Malappuram, said Mr. Chitharanjan.