Crisis grips Andhra mechanised marine boat operators

In Andhra Pradesh, around 2,500 mechanised boats, 40 trawlers and over 10,000 catamarans are engaged in sea fishing with a total shrimp catch at 40,000-45,000 tonne and 300,000 tonne of fish

In a major jolt to the mechanised boat operators and their marine catch, the seafood exporters of Andhra Pradesh have expressed their inability to take the former's material as exporters are now inclined towards procuring aqua-cultured shrimp, according to the Andhra Mechanised Fishing Boat Operators Welfare Association.

"Over the last several years, we have depended only on the seafood exporters to sell our shrimp catches. Now, they are not coming forward to take our material, at a time when there is a huge demand for marine shrimp in the international market," the association said.

In Andhra Pradesh, around 2,500 mechanised boats, 40 trawlers and over 10,000 catamarans (small fishing boats) are engaged in sea fishing with a total shrimp catch at 40,000-45,000 tonne and 300,000 tonne of fish.

"Traditionally, marine boat operators depended heavily on the exporters for their financing. In return, the exporters used to book the catch for sale in the overseas markets. However, this year, the situation is in a limbo as a majority of them turned away from us. On the other hand, the exporters are getting huge incentives in the name of exporting marine products from Marine Products Exports Development Authority (Mpeda) without actually purchasing," said PC Appa Rao, president of the association.

"How can they enjoy the export benefits in such a situation?" Notwithstanding these measures, operators are planning to take the issue seriously before the MPEDA and the ministry of commerce, he said.   

Last season, the exporters had paid around Rs 300 per kg of marine shrimp. However, this year, due to exporters' non-cooperation, the boat owners are selling the same material at Rs 200-225 per kg in the local markets. If this situation continues, prices will fall further in the local markets, he added.

Previously, the exporters mainly depended on sea material for exports. The scenario has changed completely as they are getting plenty of vanamei shrimp from aquaculture," said YG K Murthy, president, Association of Indian Fishery Industry.

Coupled with this, the expenses being incurred on operating boats and trawlers have risen abnormally because of high diesel prices and labour wages. "In this situation, if we sell our products in the local markets at low prices, the industry will lose heavily," Murthy said.

Meanwhile, V Padmanabham, president, Andhra Seafood Exporters Association of India argued that Andhra Pradesh exported its produce to the US and European markets where there was a huge demand for aqua-cultured vanamei shrimp unlike in Japan. Even in Japan, exporters are mainly interested in Tiger shrimp, but in AP about 90 per cent catches are brown variety shrimp.