Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 24: Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Abdul Gani Kohli, today said the State Government would soon come up with a comprehensive project to uplift the socio-economic condition of fishermen community of Wullar Lake.
The Minister said this while chairing a review meeting of the Fisheries Department which was attended by MLA Bandipora Usman Majid, Director Fisheries and other senior officials of the department.
The meeting decided that the department would construct a Fish Seed Farm of Schizothorax and Carp species for production of quality fish in the vicinity of the Wullar Lake to augment its fish production, besides rehabilitating the Lake’s endemic fish fauna.
It was also decided that appropriate steps would be taken for the rehabilitation of fishermen living on the banks of the Lake.
Under the project special focus would be given on providing employment to the educated unemployed fishermen youth by setting up income generating units under fish sector.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that Wullar Lake is an important habitat for fish and contributes over 30 percent of the fish yield of Kashmir Valley. He underscored the need of taking immediate steps to promote quality fish in the Lake and also stressed upon the concerned authorities to pay special attention towards the upliftment of the fishermen community.
Kohli also impressed upon the authorities to launch massive drive with regard to the training of fishermen for upgrading their skills. He instructed that fishermen should be given training for fabrication of nets and construction of boats for fishing activities.
He said that under the project two-tier fish marketing facilities would be made available to the fishermen community residing along the banks of Wullar Lake. He said five fish landing centers would be set up along the banks of the Lake at Ninglee, Zurimanz, Kulhama, Laharwalpora and Watlab.
The Minister exhorted upon the field functionaries of the department to ensure formulation of different action plans for betterment of fishermen community and stressed that all the Central and State welfare projects meant for the overall development of the fishermen community be implemented in time.
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