Sainiani Boila 
Makogai Mariculture Research Center [Source: Ministry of Fisheries / Facebook ]
The aging of infrastructure hinders the work and the services provided by the Ministry of Fisheries in the rural remote areas, including the maritime islands.
While presenting the Ministry’s report to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Permanent Secretary Sanjana Lal says other issues include climate change, frequent power outages, extreme weather, and rising fuel costs.
Lal addressed challenges faced by local fishermen, highlighting limited market access for selling catches and the increasing threat of climate change, including licensing and infrastructure.
Fisheries and Forestry Permanent Secretary Sanjana Lal
“The ministry implements a preventative maintenance schedule for all ice plants to ensure continuous operation and support service delivery. While complaints about inoperative ice plants are received, the ministry address these issues as they arise.”
The Ministry is also working on updating the standard operating procedure for issuing fishing licenses.
The Ministry of Fisheries operates 24 ice plants across the country, including in the Maritime Islands to help assist fishermen with their produce in an effort to increase production in the fisheries sector.
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