Ice Shortage Hits Visakhapatnam Fishing Industry
Rising demand, limited ice capacity affect fishing, exports and seafood preservation
Visakhapatnam: A severe shortage of ice at the Visakhapatnam fishing harbour is affecting fishing operations, marine produce preservation and the fisheries supply chain, with fishermen, traders, exporters and boat owners reporting mounting losses.
The shortage has intensified following the arrival of more than 200 fishing boats from other states, significantly increasing demand for ice without a corresponding increase in production capacity. Industry representatives said no new ice factories have been established to meet the additional demand.
Each longline fishing boat requires about 40 tonnes of ice for a single expedition, leaving limited supplies for traders who depend on ice to preserve and transport fish, shrimp and crabs. With hundreds of boats returning to the harbour every fortnight, stakeholders warned that the shortage could lead to spoilage of marine produce worth crores of rupees.
The shortage has also affected supplies to major markets such as Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru, while shrimp processing units have reportedly reduced procurement because of inadequate preservation facilities.
Fishing operations have also been disrupted, as several boats are unable to obtain sufficient ice before venturing into the sea, resulting in financial losses for fishermen and boat owners.
Vasupalli Janakiram, honorary president of the National Association of Fishermen (AP), said, “Unless the government takes immediate action, the fishing industry risks suffering irreparable damage.”
According to industry representatives, repeated tenders to establish new ice plants have failed to attract investors because of high commercial lease rates. They urged the government to treat the fisheries sector as an industrial activity by providing land at industrial rates, capital subsidies, concessional power tariffs and low-interest loans to encourage investment.
Stakeholders also cited high electricity costs as a major hurdle to setting up new ice plants.
They appealed to the Central and state governments, the fisheries department, the Visakhapatnam Port Authority, the National Fisheries Development Board and the Marine Products Export Development Authority to take immediate steps to address the shortage, warning that continued supply constraints could affect the livelihoods of thousands of families dependent on the fishing industry.
