Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 03 November 2023
The Department of Fisheries in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands organized a Brainstorming Workshop for Fisheries Cooperatives at the Fisheries Training Centre in Marine Hill, Port Blair, on November 2, 2023. The event brought together officials and experts from various organizations, including ICAR-CIARI, the RCS Department, A&N State Cooperative Bank, and ANCOFED, among others.
Mr. Vishwendra, the Secretary of Fisheries for the A&N Administration, expressed his satisfaction with the unique initiative and urged all the participants to capitalise on the opportunity to revive their Fisheries Cooperatives. He assured them of both technical and financial support from the Department of Fisheries. Mr. Vishwendra emphasised the need for fishermen to come together in groups to undertake major fisheries projects in the private sector. He also encouraged the induction of educated youths into the cooperatives to enhance their development.
The Director of Fisheries, Mr. Vikram Singh, highlighted the importance of utilising Departmental Schemes such as PMMSY for creating assets and KCC for obtaining short-term capital. Dr. K. Gopal, Joint Director of Fisheries, welcomed the participants and underscored the current state of fisheries cooperatives, stressing the importance of reviving them and the benefits of forming cooperative societies for mutual gain.
The workshop featured presentations on various topics related to Cooperative Societies, including financing, functioning, and various activities. Dr. R. Kiruba Sankar, Senior Scientist at ICAR-CIARI, Mr. Srinivasan M.K., General Manager, Jolly James, General Manager at A&N State Cooperative Bank, Mr. S.U. Maheswar Rao, Governing Body Member, NFDB and Mr. Bittu S Nathan from the RCS Department delivered informative talks. Mr. Aqueel Anas and Mr. D. Pothaiah, successful aquaculturists from the Islands, shared their success stories in shrimp farming, serving as motivational examples for the cooperatives.
The panel discussion was concluded by Mr. Abdul Salam, Assistant Director of Fisheries (Extension & Training), who highlighted the key points discussed during the workshop. The event was attended by members of 28 Fisheries Cooperatives and various other stakeholders.