Behind the mariculture push in the islands: a Rs 199.24 crore smart fishing harbour cleared for Mayabunder under PMMSY

Background

The Directorate of Fisheries in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been promoting mariculture in the islands, and the territory's largest fisheries asset in the pipeline is a harbour at Mayabunder. The Department of Fisheries under the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying approved a Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour at Mayabunder at a cost of Rs 199.24 crore, with 100 per cent Central Financial Assistance. The proposal came from the Andaman and Nicobar Administration and was cleared under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, abbreviated PMMSY. The harbour is designed to give safe landing and berthing to 430 fishing vessels and to handle an annual fish landing of 9,900 tonnes. It is being built in line with the Blue Port Initiative, with systems based on the Internet of Things and digital traceability for the catch.