The Kerala Fisheries Minister, K Babu, has expressed concern over the deep sea fishing policy report, saying that "it is harmful to traditional fisher folk in the country''.
Suggestions in the report prepared by the B Meenakumari Commission would badly affect the lives of fishermen. He said that the new policies of the Union Government would destroy the fisheries sector and the State Government would convey its concerns to the Centre shortly.
The Minister was speaking after laying the foundation stone for setting up of an Ocean Studies Campus of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) at Puthuvypeen.
Emphasising the need for serious research on climate change, global warming, cyclones etc, the Minister hoped that the proposed Ocean Studies Campus of KUFOS would provide adequate human resources in the sector to address these problems. The campus would be made a centre of excellence in ocean studies, with international standards.
Inaugurating a one-day workshop for shrimp farmers, K V Thomas, MP, said that Vanammei shrimp culture would uplift the living standards of fish farmers.