CHENNAI: With a view to introducing modern techniques in fishing sector and to enhance the income of fishermen, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced that a separate university for the development of fisheries would be set up at Nagapattinam in an area of 85 acres at an estimated cost of `30 crore.Making a suo motu statement in the State Assembly, the CM said that in the first phase, Tamil Nadu Maritime Board, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tuticorin, Fisheries Institute of Technology, Chennai, Research Wing of the Fisheries Department and Training Institute for Fisheries Employees, Chennai, would be merged with the University.Recalling that former Chief Minister MG Rama-chandran established the second college for fisheries in India at Tuticorin in 1977, the CM said many countries have separate university for fisheries and the neighbouring Kerala had recently established the Kerala Universty of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. The new university would offer degrees and diplomas in shrimp breeding, mullet breeding, ornamental fish breeding, fish processing and manufacturing value-added fish products, maintenance of fishing boats and equipment and deep sea fishing.The university would play a significant role in upgrading the exchange of technologies in fisheries science, human resource development and usage of fisheries. Training in this university would provide opportunities for the students to get jobs within the country and abroad, she said.On the reason for choosing Nagapattinam district for establishing this university, the CM said the district had 188 km-long coast and the important economic activities of the district were fishing, production of dry fish and shrimp farming. Besides, around 9,000 vessels were engaged in fishing.
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