(fis.com) Declining fish catches are leading many mechanised boat operators to venture into the tuna-fishing business. Rising fuel costs are also making gill and trawl net fishing unviable, and so mechanised boats from Visakhapatnam, one of India's main fishing centres, are eyeing tuna's potential.
Out of Visakhapatnam's 600 mechanised boats, a whopping half is tied up in port because fishers cannot afford the increasing operational costs. Of the regular operators, 60 to 70 have resorted to long liners to catch tuna, The Hindu reports. A fisher must invest about INR 300,000 (USD 6,058) for tuna long-lining.
Boat owners say tuna availability is very high in deep waters and that initial responses are already encouraging.
For a 15-day voyage, boat operators say they need 2,500 to 3,000 l of diesel. Subsidies are being granted but only for boats registered up to 31 March 2002.
The subsidy has not been reviewed despite increasing fuel costs in the last two years.
Burgeoning demand for tuna has prompted mechanised boat operators to venture northward to Kalingapatnam, Puri and Paradip. But the success of tuna fishers largely depends on winds, as heavy breezes get in the way of catches.
On average, the boats get 50 to 70 pieces of tuna weighing from 25 to 60 kg when they embark on a two-week long fishing trip. Agents then purchase the tuna at the Visakhapatnam fishing harbour and later airlift it to Chennai for export.
Infrastructure, necessary for making a big centre for tuna exports out of Visakhapatnam, is still lacking despite the efforts of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA) to promote tuna as part of sustainable fishing.
“Existing facilities are woefully-inadequate. For trained manpower and world-class infrastructure, we are ready to offer joint collaborations”, Australia's Trade Commissioner Michael Carter said.