Fisherfolks lives will be improved

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday promised that the UDF Government will take all steps necessary for the uplift of the fishing communities. He was speaking after inaugurating a Marine Finfish Stock Enhancement Programme by depositing 1,000 ‘Moda’ fish into the sea off Vizhinjam coast.The programme, held a little way out at sea, was organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA). The Chief Minister stressed the need for increasing marine exports."The share of marine exports is significant in overall exports. But there should be a corresponding increase in marine resources alongside increasing revenue from marine exports,’’ he said. The 1,000 ‘Moda’ fish were bred in a hatchery at Pozhiyoor and were deposited in the sea by the Chief Minister from a fishing vessel. He used a net to release the fish into the water.Later, landing back at the Vizhinjam harbour, he was surrounded by the local women who vented their anger at him for the scarcity of drinking water in the region.Shashi Tharoor MP presided over the stock enhancement programme. Jameela Prakasam MLA, RGCA project director Thampi Sam Raj and MPEDA chairperson Leena Nair were present on the occasion.