Daijiworld News Network – Udupi (SS)

Udupi, Feb 27:  In a contact programme held with fishermen at Sri Ucchila Mahalakshmi Temple on Sunday February 26 here, B Nagaraj Shetty, minister for fisheries, said that the government is planning to ban fishing by fishermen from outside the state, on the lines of Kerala, Tamilnadu and Goa.

He said that a compensation would also be given for families of 50 fishermen who have died since 1998.  A dredger would be bought immediately for desilting the ports of coastal districts of the state, he added.

He also promised to increase the subsidy on diesel for fishing boats from 55,000 litres to 70,000 litres.

The government is deciding of sketching a wide-ranging fishing police, which would include diesel subsidy, storages, inland fishing, said Dr V S Acharya, minister for medical education and animal husbandry.

Also present for the meet were Pramod Madhwaraj, Karnataka Fishermen Action Committee, Ucchila president and Raghupathi Bhat, MLA.