KOCHI: In what could be a major fillip to Kerala’s seafood industry, Australia has expressed its willingness to share its expertise in deep-sea fishing with Kerala’s fishermen.This was announced by the Trade Commissioner and Consul Commercial for Australia to South India Michael Carter, who was here to meet the business community. Carter told Express that Kerala could improve its productivity in fisheries and seafood industry if it is provided with better strategy and technology. “The Australian Trade Commission is formulating a comprehensive strategy to assist the seafood and fishery industry of Kerala to make it more productive and efficient. “There is ample scope for Australian intervention at various points from catching to export,” he said.According to Carter, Kerala should utilise its geographical advantage. With a long coastline that stretches over 500 kilometres, Kerala has tremendous potential in deep-sea fishing and seafood processing. Australia has also got a long tradition in deep-sea fishing, he said. “We are ready to share our technology in deepsea fishing, on board processing and preserving the catch. “Using better technologies for processing on board, multiplies the quality of the end product for export,” Carter said.“High efficiency in Australian fisheries output and greater export value are the results of an increased focus on conservation, technology, efficiency and quality in the production phase. “These ensure that only sustainable and economically viable processes of fishing are utilised and there is minimal deterioration in the quality of seafood from the catching stage to the time it reaches the processing plants. “There is very good potential to replicate the success model in Kerala,” he said. Carter further said he had held talks with the authorities of the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) for sharing Australian technology in deep-sea fishing.
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