Bhubaneswar: Vice-president C P Radhakrishnan here on Thursday launched the Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission document (2026–2036), describing it as a visionary initiative to transform the state into a leading marine product export hub of eastern India.He said the deep-sea fishing mission seeks to revive Odisha’s ancient maritime glory through modern knowledge and technology.Meanwhile, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed happiness over the national launch of the Letter of Authorisation (LoA) in Odisha for the sustainable harnessing of fisheries in the high seas. He said the sea is not merely a geographical boundary, but the lifeline and identity of the state’s six lakh marine fishers.“India is entering a historic new era in deep-sea fishing. An “Access Pass” system was launched from Veraval in Gujarat in Dec last year for fishing within India’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). “So far, 5,000 fishers across the country have received these passes, including 866 from Odisha,” he said.As the next step, he added, the process of granting the LoAs for fishing in international waters has begun. “As an initial measure, eight fishers from Odisha were given LoAs, and two deep-sea fishing vessels were also issued go-ahead approvals under the Chief Minister’s Agriculture Enterprise Scheme. This will bring major opportunities for fishers,” he said.Majhi added the Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission document has been launched to make the best use of the state’s 575km coastline. Modern fish landing centres, wholesale markets and aqua parks will be developed at locations such as Paradip, Dhamra, Gopalpur, Chandipur and Astaranga, he said.He further said that the system is being managed through a ReALCraft portal in a fully online and transparent manner.The CM reaffirmed that the state is committed to strengthening fisheries cooperatives and Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs), while ensuring full digitalisation of the fisheries sector.“The mission will boost fish output and double fishers’ incomes through investments in modern fisheries infrastructure, value chains, scientific fishery management and market linkages. Over the next 10 years, 150 new advanced deep-sea fishing vessels will be deployed and 500 existing vessels will be fully modernised,” he said.Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Odisha holds immense potential in fish production, fisheries trade and fish exports. “Although neighbouring states are ahead in this field, Odisha’s fisheries production and business are steadily growing. If the current support and opportunities extended to fishers continue, Odisha could soon become one of the leading states in fish production and exports,” he said.
