The Odisha State Fishermen Cooperative Federation (Fishfed) here on Thursday inked a pact with the Indian Oil Corporation ltd (IOCl) for setting up 13 high-speed diesel (HSD) consumer pumps at various fish landing centres and jetties in the State.
Fishfed Managing Director Subal Chandra Mohanty and IOCl Chief Divisional Consumer Sales Manager Ashok Mishra sighed the MoU in the presence of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Pradeep Maharathy, Secretary Bishnupada Sethi, Fisheries Director Dr Bijaya Ketan Upadhyaya, Fishfed and Fishcopfed president T Prasad Rao Dora.
The Fishfed has 70,000 members (fishermen) who are dependent on fishing for their livelihood. The fishermen, who now buy diesel from local retail outlets to operate their boats, will henceforth procure the fuel from the fish landing centers at a rebate of Rs0.50 per liter.
The diesel outlets would be set up at Chandrabhaga, Astaranga, Balugaon, Bahabalpur Kharinasi, Chudamani, Palur, Bhusandapur, Sonapur, Nairy,Talchua, Panchubisa and Sorana as per the MoU.
Notably, Odisha is one of the important maritime States in India having a coastline of 480 km. With a total production of 5.21 lakh MT of fish, the State ranks 9th in the country in fish production, informed the Secretary.
He said approximately fish and fisheries products worth Rs2,000 crore is exported from the State every year. The Government has a plan to increase the fish production and export in coming years.
At least 1.14 lakh fishermen families reside along the coastline with a population of 6.05 lakh, he added.
The state has 73 fish landing centers with two major fishing harbors where 1,755 mechanised boats,7,666 motorised boats and 9,507 traditional boats are in operation.
Of the 1.45 lakh MT of marine fish catch landed last year, 60 per cent was exported to different States and countries, he informed.