VISAKHAPATNAM: The sea-cage fishing sector, who have been given the operational license by National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), have requested the AP government to formulate a policy on sea-cage fishing which will allow them to commence operations off the coast of Visakhapatnam . In a letter to the fisheries commissioner, the promoter of one of the three fishing companies in the city said the NFDB license was issued in October last year.“We request you to accord necessary permission to set up the cages as per the NFDB letter dated October 30,” the letter states, adding that the fisheries commissioner had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NFDB in June last year, which allowed the latter to start integrated open sea farming in the territorial waters of AP.Following the signing of the MoU, the NFDB invited applications from interested individuals and companies to set up the cages. Three companies, including two city-based firms, were given the license to set up the cages off the coast of Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam . “The NFDB has approved the setting up of up to 500 cages in the sea off AP coast, and we are ready with the cages and the seed for the project, but the government is yet to formulate a policy on sea cage fishing even four months after the NFDB approved the plan,” an industry source with direct knowledge of the development told TOI.Once operational, each cage can give employment to around 20 people. “Sea-cage fishing is going on in Karnataka for the last 18 months, but we are stuck because the government is delaying the formulation of a policy on this type of fishing,” the source added.

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