Summary:
Chennai, Sept 17 (PTI) The work to develop five major fishing harbours as hubs of economic activity is underway and steps are on to set up a multi-purpose seaweed park in Tamil Nadu for the first time in the country, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying L Murugan said on Friday.
A meeting to take forward the announcements of the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was held and the work would commence soon, he said.
Interacting with fishermen at Kasimedu here, Murugan said.
The five harbours are in Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Kochi (Kerala), Visakhapatnam(Andhra Pradesh), Paradip (Odisha) and Petuaghat (West Bengal).
“The long coastline offers scope for development and along with this the seaweed park – the first special economic park in the country to come up in Tamil Nadu – will increase the prospects of employment and exports besides enhancing income,” Murugan said.
He said the park would be a boon to fisherwomen as it would be implemented through women self-help groups (SHGs) or society.