Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 11 February 2023
Mr. Piyush S Vijay Karan, Director of Fisheries, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Mr. S U Maheswar Rao, Governing Body Member, National Fisheries Development Board, Mr. J P Tiwari, Assistant Engineer, Fisheries Department, Mr. D Eswar Rao, Secretary, Fish Market Association and Mr. Abdul Mazeed, Secretary, Island Fisheries Cooperative Society Ltd. recently visited Shaheed Dweep to redress the grievances of the Fishermen Community.
Neil Kendra Fishermen Welfare Forum had written a letter to the Director of Fisheries with their demands and grievances earlier.
During the visit, the delegation visited various places at Shaheed Dweep and interacted with the Fishermen Community.
The Fishermen Community requested the delegation that a 5-10 MT Ice Plant and Cold Storage be constructed at Shaheed Dweep. There are no Ice Plants or Cold Storage in Shaheed Dweep. The demand for fish in the Island has increased manifold, and the fishermen are forced to catch and sell the fish on the same day due to the non-availability of Ice Plant and Cold Storage. The Fishermen Community had requested that a 5-10 MT Ice Plant and Cold Storage be constructed at Shaheed Dweep under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMSSY) by the Fisheries Department.
The Fishermen Community also requested renovation of the existing fish market at Shaheed Dweep, which is in a very bad state. They also demanded the extension of the fish market to accommodate more fishermen.
The fishermen also demanded toilet blocks at Fish Landing Centre and at the Fish Market. They also demanded that the Fish Landing Centre and Jetty be exclusively used for Fishing purposes and no tourism-related activity should be allowed at the Jetty.
The Director assured to look into all demands and grievances of the Fishermen Community of Shaheed Dweep.