Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar has welcomed the creation of the Department of Fisheries by the Union government. During the presentation of the Interim Budget, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced the creation of a separate Department of Fisheries in order to provide sustained and focused attention towards development of the sector.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Minister Jayakumar said, “It is a historic golden day for the Fisheries Department. The Central government has accepted the compulsions of Amma's (Jayalalithaa) government. The Central government has realised the demand of the Chief Minister and others who went to Delhi. The plan to create job opportunities worth Rs 60,000 crore rupees is good.”
He also appreciated other sops in the budget stating, “They have increased gratuity, pension for government employees. It is also a good thing that the unorganised sector will get pension after the age of 60. It is also good that they have said that all those in rural India will have homes and electricity by 2023.”
In his budget speech in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Union Minister Piyush Goyal also underscored the importance of the sector, stating, “India is the second largest fish producing nation in the world accounting for 6.3% of global production, registering an average annual growth of more than 7% in recent years. The sector provides livelihood to about 1.45 crore people at the primary level.”
Speaking to the Economic Times, S Chandrasekhar, president of Society of Aquaculture Professionals said that the Department would help in quicker decisions at the administrative level for fisheries, benefitting the seafood industry which is export-oriented.