Kothapatnam Harbour to Be Built With Rs 392 Crore: Ongole MP

Kurnool: Ongole Lok Sabha member Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy announced plans to establish a Kothapatnam fishing harbour with an investment of Rs 392.45 crore. He highlighted that Prakasam district contributes 29.1% of the country’s fish production, making it the leading producer in the state.

Speaking at an event marking World Fisheries Day on Thursday, the MP emphasised that the harbour's establishment would promote the development of local fishing villages and prevent the migration of fishermen to other states. He also mentioned that Rs 25 lakh had previously been allocated under the MP grant for constructing a fishermen's building in Ongole city. However, since construction had not yet begun, the funds remain unutilised. He assured that the funds would be renewed once the construction starts.

District collector A. Thameem Ansari commended local fishermen for their role in recent flood relief operations in Vijayawada, where 75 fishermen, along with 35 boats, participated for a week. She also addressed the issue of Sona boats coming from Tamil Nadu, stating that the central government had been informed, and steps are being taken to find a permanent solution. She added that action plans are being developed to improve the Kothapatnam and Pakala beaches.

Dr Nukasani Balaji, chairman of the State Tourism Development Corporation, shared that efforts are underway to develop local beaches as part of the state’s beach corridor tourism project. He assured that the development of these beaches would benefit the surrounding fishing villages.

Ongole city mayor Gangada Sujatha spoke about the challenges faced by aqua farmers and urged the government to provide necessary resources such as boats, engines, nets, and subsidies to support their livelihoods.

World Fisheries Day stresses need for marine conservation

Visakhapatnam: Severe pollution of ocean waters caused by ghost fishing nets and marine plastic waste was highlighted by experts at a seminar held to mark World Fisheries Day on Thursday. The event was jointly organised by the Indian Institute of Fisheries Research (IIFR) and the fisheries department at the institute’s conference hall at Vizag. The event is held annually to raise awareness about marine conservation and the challenges the fisheries sector faces.

District collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad, who was the chief guest at the event, said a complete ban on the use of plastic would be implemented from January 1, urging fishermen to cooperate with this initiative. Fisheries department joint director P. Lakshmana Rao spoke about the detrimental effects of marine plastic waste and abandoned nets on fish life and discussed preventive measures.

IIFR chief officer D. Bamireddy emphasised the threats pose by ghost fishing nets and marine plastic waste. Bamireddy called for more efforts to save the marine environment by bringing waste nets and plastics to the shore for proper disposal.

To create awareness among fishermen, visuals showcased the research vessels Matsya Shikari and Matsya Darsini and their efforts in collecting various types of broken nets and plastic waste.

Marine SP Ravi Varma, scientist G.V.A. Prasad, GVMC additional commissioner Ramana Murthy and representatives from various associations including CIFT, CMFRI, CIFNET, NIFPHATT and MPEDA took part in the seminar.