Lok Sabha Debates
Need To Establish A Fisheries University In Andhra Pradesh. on 20 April, 2015
Sixteenth Loksabha an> Title: Need to establish a Fisheries University in Andhra Pradesh.
SHRI GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU (NARSAPURAM): In addition to agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture form one of the most significant food production sectors in Andhra Pradesh which is at present facing acute shortage of field level technical manpower. As the State is the pioneer State in fish production, Andhra Pradesh has a rich resource base of water bodies, both inland freshwater; and coastal marine/brackish waters that sustain a sizeable fishery forming the basis of livelihood of 1.3 lakh fishermen families involving 5.1 lakh fishermen (14% of total Indian fisher folks). There are 271 fish landing centres spread over 498 fishing villages, along the coastline extending to 974 kilometres. The continental shelf area of 33,000 square kilometres caters to a well-established capture fishery along our coast. Fisheries education imparted in the State is currently limited to a Fisheries College at Nellore offering Bachelor of Fisheries Science (B.F.Sc.) and M.F.Sc. degrees; and a Fisheries Polytechnic affiliated to the Sri Venkateshwara Veterinary University at Bhavadevarapalli in Krishna District. This is grossly inadequate, given the acute dearth of skilled manpower that is needed for the targeted developments in fisheries, aquaculture, sea-food processing and export industries in the State.
An estimate of the manpower requirement in the sector by 2030 in the country requires additional 32 lakhs of qualified manpower for the sector to progress and achieve the targets. This manpower gap can only be bridged by establishing a number of subsidiary institutions apart from those institutions of higher learning, particularly in regions like Andhra Pradesh where a lion’s share of the future demand would arise. In this context, there is a need for a Fisheries University which will produce trained and qualified personnel. I, therefore, urge upon the Government to establish a Fisheries University either at Undi of Bheemavaram in West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh in PPP mode.