Chennai, July 14(BPNS)

Union fisheries minister, Parshottam Rupala will hold a virtual meeting with the Members of Parliament from coastal areas to get their views on the draft Indian Marine Fisheries Bill, 2021.

The Union fisheries minister has in a letter invited Villupuram MP and VCK leader D. Ravikumar to attend the virtual meet to be held at 11 am on July 15 to elicit his views regarding the draft fisheries bill.

Rupala, according to Villupuram MP has conveyed that taking views from the Members of Parliament from coastal areas would provide the necessary inputs and would address the concerns of the traditional and small scale fishers as well as on the sustainable development of marine fisheries in the country.

The Union minister told the MP that it was the suggestion of Loksabha Speaker, OM Birla to connect with the Members of Parliament from coastal areas of the country before finalizing the draft of the Indian Marine Fisheries Bill, 2021.

The fishermen community across the coastal belts of the country was against the presence of large fishing trawlers in India’s economic zones. Fishermen from Tamil Nadu have always been complaining about the highhandedness of the Sri Lankan Navy towards them in deep-sea at the borders of the International waterways and D. Ravikumar is expected to speak on this subject.

Ravikumar while speaking to BPNS said, “The Union Fisheries Minister had called me and asked me to be part of the virtual meeting to be held on July 15 at 11 am regarding the draft of the Indian Marine Fisheries Bill and have requested on my suggestions and views regarding the same.”