Minister for Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water Transport Mankal S. Vaidya said on Sunday that the fisheries harbour at Gangolli will be developed by investing ₹22 crore.
Speaking after handing over the sanction letters for compensation to fishermen whose boats were gutted in a fire at Gangolli port on November 13 last year, Mr. Vaidya said that when the funds are invested the basic facilities at the Gangolli port will get a facelift. The bids to take up the project, also comprising construction of sheds for fishermen, will be invited soon.
The Minister said that when the Union government decided to stop supplying its quota of subsidised kerosene to 8,200 traditional boats in the three coastal districts in Karnataka, the State government purchased kerosene for fishermen. But the Centre imposed a GST of 18% on the purchase. Hence the price touched ₹90 per litre. In that the State government provides a subsidy of ₹35 a litre.
The Minister said that the Union government has advised traditional fishermen to replace kerosene operated engines with LPG. Fishermen need time to go for the change.
The Minister handed over sanction letters for ₹10 lakh each to eight boat owners whose boats were fully gutted in Gangolli in November last. A boat owner whose boat was partially damaged in the fire mishap received the sanction letter for ₹5 lakh. Along with this fishermen who suffered losses to their fish nets also received the sanction letter for compensation.
Later speaking to presspersons, the Minister said that he launched Karnataka’s artificial reefs project to facilitate marine fish breeding at Belke in Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada on Saturday.
Artificial reefs are concrete structures set on the seabed to enhance the growth of marine flora and fauna communities simulating natural settings to promote fish aggregation.
They attract migrant populations for breeding and feeding options and provide base for the propagation of resident population within the sheltered structures. They are submerged or partially exposed to tides, placed deliberately on the seabed to mimic some functions of a natural reef, including protection, regeneration, concentration and enhancing population of living marine resources. They serve as habitats that function as part of the natural ecosystem while doing no harm.
The Minister said that those conical shape concrete structures (artificial reefs) will be placed at 56 identified locations along Karnataka coast at an estimated cost of ₹17.36 crore. Of the locations 25 are in Uttara Kannada.
The locations have been identified using technology as such locations had rock like structures earlier helping fish breeding. They disappeared due to various reasons including silt accumulation.
The project has yielded results in some other coastal states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Minister said.
