Special university needed for aquaculture: Kollu Ravindra

Stress on need for adopting modern, technological, and international methods
Minister for Mines & Geology and Excise Kollu Ravindra has emphasised the need for modern, technological, and international methods to be adapted in order to make significant progress and increase production in aquaculture. He added that aquaculture will play an important role in providing aqua marine fishing for future generations. Minister Ravindra suggested that a special university should be established to achieve these goals.
As part of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-8 Project on Sustainable Aquaculture in Andhra Pradesh, a delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) visited the fishing harbour at Gilakaladindi near Machilipatnam on Sunday. The team observed the environmental conditions and later, held a meeting with aquaculture farmers to address their issues. They enquired about the favourable conditions required to continue aquaculture in the region.
The delegation included GEF-8 Project India Assistant Representative Dr. Konda Chevva, bio-diversity expert and FAO Project National Coordinator Sim Bhat, Lead Technical Specialist CM Muralidharan, aquaculture specialist Vishnu Bhat, private sector, value chain and sustainable finance specialist Neelakhanta Mishra, environmental management specialist Neena Koshhi, and gender, stakeholder engagement, and safeguards specialist Salom Yesudas.
Minister Kollu Ravindra welcomed the team and urged the members to protect the endangered species of sea fish. He pointed out the need to conserve mangroves for coastal protection and emphasised the establishment of a special university. He further mentioned that once the modernisation works at the Machilipatnam Fishing Harbour are completed, it will develop as an aqua hub. He highlighted the importance of protecting mangroves to safeguard sea fish species and support their reproduction.
Furthermore, the Minister highlighted the new concept of ‘Mother Fish’ and its potential to overcome the issues faced by fishermen in storing fish products. He also spoke about the need to make solar boats available for fishermen to use. Stressing this point not just as a minister but as an aqua cultivator, he emphasised that the ‘Mother Fish’ concept would be more helpful to the fishermen once implemented in the State.
Prior to this, the team described their project as an expansion of investment in sustainable aquaculture management, linked to land-based practices impacting freshwater and coastal ecosystems, as well as marine ecosystems. They noted that aquaculture has experienced significant annual growth since 1950, with the share of aquaculture products in overall Indian fish products increasing by 68 per cent. They pointed out that more than 28 million fishermen and aquaculture workers are involved in fishing aquaculture.
The Central team lauded Andhra Pradesh for being the biggest aquaculture producer in the country, naming it an aquaculture hub. The project aims to encourage fishermen to engage in sustainable aqua production and to address challenges posed by weather changes.
Fisheries Commissioner Tummu Dola Sanka, Additional Director Dr Anjali, Joint Director A Chandrasekhar, and Krishna District Forest Officer K Rajasekhar were also present during the visit.