AP Fisheries Department sought to clear the misapprehensions among the fishermen community regarding the GO 217 pertaining to the open auction of inland fish tanks. Kanna Babu, Commissioner for Fisheries Department, said the fishermen would, however, stand to benefit with the implementation of GO 217 as it was released for the upliftment of their community. While addressing a press conference in the Secretariat, the Commissioner asserted the state government had taken this initiative to help an individual fisherman earn up to Rs 15,000 a month.

The Commissioner said the state government has decided that 30 percent of the revenue generated from the open auction of fish tanks spread over 100 hectares would be given equally to the Fishermen Society members while the 20 percent revenue would be used for the welfare of fishermen through Andhra Pradesh State Fishermen Cooperative Federation ( APCOF ). He said fishermen societies are encouraged to participate in the auctioning. Fishermen who do fishing activities in the high seas won’t be affected through this government order, clarified the Commissioner. It may be recalled that the government had started a pilot project with the auctioning of 27 inland fish tanks in Nellore.

Fish tanks spread over 100 hectares were being misused by the middlemen due to which the Society members wouldn’t increase their earning from Rs 300 to Rs 10,000 per annum, the official remarked. Observing that 90 percent of Society members couldn’t earn more than Rs 2,500, the government has decided to lease out 337 fish tanks out of 582 fish ponds to the Fisheries Co-operative Societies, he stated.

The Commissioner for Fisheries Department said the state government is promoting the Domestic Marketing Policy through the Hub & Spoke Model with the objective of increasing the local consumption of seafood and making quality seafood products available to the public under the name of Fish Andhra.