Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Dec 26: The fish industry in the coastal districts has received a big blow due to the lowering of demand for fish overseas because of Covid-19 pandemic and also for the fact that the relations with China is not good.

Yearly 1,000 containers of fish are being exported to China from Karnataka. One container contains 25 tonnes of fish. However, now China has formulated tough rules because of the tussle with India. In addition, fish was being exported to countries like Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea and European countries. Now due to coronavirus, all these nations are not buying fish from Karnataka.

 
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There are 25 fish exporting factories in the three districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada. Last year, the exports from Karnataka stood at Rs 1,600 crore. However, the business was completely stalled from March to September due to Covid. Frog Squid, Squid and Pambolu fish used to get exported to China in huge quantities. Now the exporters are facing losses due to no demand for the stored fish.

Office of seafood products export authority of the union government is situated in Mangaluru. However, the test of the fish that get exported from the city has to be done by the central office at Cochin in Kerala. Though there is a laboratory in the factories exporting fish, the factory owners have to get an annual test report done by Cochin laboratory itself. This is causing inconvenience to the seafood exporters of the coastal region. Canara Chamber of Commerce has already appealed to the union government to open a laboratory in Mangaluru center. But so far there is no response from the union government.

In air cargo, the rate of transportation has skyrocketed. If the airlines reduce their cargo fare, then the stored fish can be exported, according to an export industrialist.

Parshwanath, deputy director of fisheries department of Dakshina Kannada says, "Due to severe restrictions of China and reduction in demand for fish in overseas countries, the fish export industry is facing losses. It is expected to pick up in the next one or two months."