Plan for comprehensive development of fisheries sector in State with Norwegian assistance: Minister

The State government is set to launch an action plan for the comprehensive development of the fisheries sector in Kerala with Norwegian partnership, Fisheries Minister V. Abdurahiman has said.

He was addressing a discussion organised in connection with the formation of various action programmes that can be implemented in the fisheries sector with the cooperation of Norway. The discussion was organised here on Thursday as a follow-up to the Chief Minister’s visit to the country.

Stating that the State has collaborated with Norway since the 1950s to develop the fisheries sector, the Minister said the main task of the Kerala delegation participating in the discussion was to learn advanced technologies in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors from Norwegian institutions.

Norway’s advanced technologies, infrastructure, and precision were astonishing. An action plan formulation team, comprising diplomats, administrators, planning and development officials and representatives of the scientific community, had been formed. In the first phase of collaboration between Kerala and Norway, projects related to fisheries and aquaculture would be developed. This would benefit the young fishing community and allied sectors.

There was also a plan to create a corpus fund to promote collaborative research and other programmes between the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) and Norwegian universities. Norwegian institutions, including universities in the region, had urged the government to set up such a fund to support students. To prepare a roadmap for further development of the fisheries sector in the State, Kufos would host a workshop ensuring the participation of global experts, said the Minister.