Be it industrial effluents, excessive use of plastic material or overexploitation, the fishing industry is finding no way-out for a turnaround. Once known as a nerve centre for deep-sea and offshore fishing, Visakhapatnam is losing its importance though the port has remained No. 1 in exporting seafood among all the major ports in the country. That is mainly due to the fact that Visakhapatnam port attracts consignments not only from the entire Andhra coast but also from part of Odisha and West Bengal. Export turnover The export turnover is estimated at around Rs. 7,500 crore from Visakhapatnam. Most of the trawlers and mechanised boats have opted for tuna long-lining because of the subsidy offered by Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA). After initial euphoria, that also has failed due to poor catch, according to AP Mechanised Boat Operators’ Association president P.Ch. Appa Rao. With a full-stop to shrimp-centric approach, the deep-sea trawler operators have ran into trouble. Fall in tuna catch and other high-value fish mainly due to overexploitation and deployment of foreign chartered vessels and subsequently re-introducing them under the garb of Letter of Permit vessels, has ruined the industry, Association of Indian Fishery Industries president Y.G.K. Murti has said. In demand Now many are opting for Vannamei as a way-out as the Europe, Japan and the United States of America, who import mainly from India, are opting for Vannamei, an aqua-cultured shrimp known as white-leg shrimp is grown in large numbers by importing an exotic species. It is most sought-after from India for its low price and taste. Fishing industry stakeholders allege that indiscriminate release of untreated effluents’ into the sea and plastic material finding its way into the ocean are the twin reasons for drastic fall in the number of fish. Fish-kill is reported regularly at Pudimadaka, Bhimili, Mutyalammapalem and other coasts in Visakhapatnam. This is mainly due to industrial pollution, regrets Arijili Dasu, a fishermen activist.