AIMED at a major haul in the way fish vendors sell or auction the catch, the Fisheries Department has come up with the idea of air-conditioned fish retail outlets. On a pilot basis 10 such retail outlets will come up in five districts to be manned by select fish vending women. The department feels through such a programme not only the supply of fresh fish to consumers could be ensured but also they could ensure the fish were being sold in a hygienic environment. At the same time, officials also tips the change on cards is part of proposed Kerala Fish Marketing and Quality Management Bill. The high point is we could shift the unhygienic wayside sale of fish to a hygienic atmosphere. It has come to our notice a section of people under the notion the fish at wayside were unclean flock to supermarkets and buy fish at a hefty price, said an official with the Directorate of Fisheries.As consumers prefer supermarkets to wayside sale outlets or even our local markets the fish vendors were not getting any monetary gain. Also, the consumers had to pay more for their products. We are now planning to establish not only airconditioned fish retail outlets but also modernised fish markets with thrust on hygiene. The proposed air-conditioned outlets will come up in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Kasargod districts. Meanwhile, it has been learnt the Fisheries Department had submitted a project with the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board for setting up 53 modernised and hygienic fish markets in the state and is awaiting its approval. Yes, we had submitted such a proposal with the KIIFB. We were yet to receive its clearance. Earlier we got financial assistance from the Hyderabad-based National Fisheries Development Board for establishing 38 such markets. Of these, work of 34 markets has been completed and the work of the remaining four is still progressing, the official said. Fisheries officials felt implementing such programmes is nothing but a challenge as the fund flow from the Centre has dried up. They say with the unveiling of the Blue Revolution programme, an umbrella project in which various fisheries programmes were brought under one roof, by the Centre the state’s share has lessened considerably. Despite such challenges, we will move forward with the programme. Through such changes we will be able to address the unhealthy practice of using dangerous chemicals for preserving fish, the official said.