Gandhinagar, Gujarat : Gujarat, which has the longest coastline in the country, has always been a leader in the fisheries sector. Under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana’ launched for the all-round development of the fisheries sector, an important decision has been taken to protect marine life and give a new global identity to the seafood export sector. For the first time in Gujarat, the state government will start installing ‘Turtle Excluder Device’ (TED) in the fishing nets of fishermen.

Fisheries Minister Jitu Vaghani said that under this scheme, 8,925 fishermen of the state will be provided ‘Turtle Excluder Device’ free of cost with 100% government assistance. This ambitious project, which will be implemented at a total cost of Rs 20.96 crore, will not only conserve marine life but also open up global markets for Gujarat’s seafood industry.

For some time now, the US has been restricting the import of Indian ‘wild coat shrimp’, i.e. shrimp caught from the sea, due to the threat posed to sea turtles during fishing. Now, the use of TED will reduce the risk to turtles, making it easier to obtain the necessary international certifications. As a result, Gujarat’s shrimp exports to international markets, including the US, will boom again, which will bring a significant increase in the income of the state’s fishermen and seafood exporters.

The highest number of 8,925 TED units in the country has been approved by the Government of India for Gujarat alone. This unique model of TED has been developed by ICAR – Central Institute of Fisheries Technology-Kochi as per the global standards of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of America.

TED is a unique device installed in shrimp trawl nets, which keeps shrimp safe in the net and allows large marine creatures like turtles to escape through the ‘exit flap’, which will significantly reduce the mortality rate of turtles. This innovative effort, which combines environmental balance and economic prosperity of fishermen, will give a new height to Gujarat’s ‘Blue Economy’ on the world stage with the sincere efforts of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Fisheries Minister Jitu Vaghani.

Report – Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)