The Centre has given approval for the establishment of 93 units of artificial reefs for stock enhancement and the promotion of sustainable marine fisheries along the Odisha coast, Union fisheries minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Official sources said artificial reefs will be constructed and placed on the seabed at 93 locations across the Odisha coast. Site selection for the installation of the artificial reef units is underway. These reefs will not only increase fish production and biodiversity but also help in the restoration of degraded marine ecosystems.
Dinabandhu Sahoo, a marine scientist and professor at Delhi University, said artificial reefs will not only provide habitat to several marine species but also reduce wave action, protecting the coast. “These are good substrates for seaweeds,” he added.
Earlier, the Centre had sanctioned 732 artificial reef units for 10 coastal states with a total investment of Rs 126 crore under the Integrated Modern Coastal Fishing Villages of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). The projects are being implemented with the technical support of Fishery Survey of India (FSI) and ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
The Union minister said the department of fisheries under the ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying has approved Odisha govt’s proposal for the construction of a fishing harbour at Nuagarh (Astarang) in Puri district at a cost of Rs 82.8 crore with a central share of Rs 49.7 crore under PMMSY.
The department under the central sector scheme component of PMMSY has approved the proposal of Paradip port trust for the modernization and upgradation of Paradip fishing harbour at a cost of Rs 99.75 crore with 100% central share.
Singh said the ministry is implementing a uniform ban on fishing annually from April 15 to June 14 along the east coast, including the stretch of 480km of Odisha coasts, primarily for the conservation of fishery resources and to sustain marine fisheries. Further, the Odisha govt imposes a fishing ban on a stretch of 120km of Odisha coast (Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, Devi river mouth, Rushikulya river mouth and Dhamara river mouth) for conservation of Olive Ridley turtles every year from November 1 to May 31.
Under the PMMSY, financial assistance is also provided to 24,000 socio-economically backward active traditional fishers’ families of Odisha annually for livelihood and nutritional support during the fishing ban/lean period to promote the conservation of fisheries resources of Odisha.