The government of the Indian state Tamil Nadu has sought an assistance of Rs 10 crore (almost USD 1,9 million) every year to take up dredging of fishing harbors and bar mouths.
In a memorandum submitted to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was in Chennai on Monday, chief minister J Jayalalithaa requested for a special package for conversion of bottom trawlers into deep sea tuna long liners suitable for deep sea fishing as this would reduce the trawling fishing pressure in the disputed waters of the Palk Bay area.
The state also requested to Central government to enhance the subsidy given by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (Mpeda) for modification of existing fishing vessels to tuna long liners from the existing 50 percent to 90 percent as a special incentive for conversion of boats in the Palk Bay area (i.e., Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Nagapattinam districts).
