Andamans to host second Seafood Festival in Sri Vijaya Puram on January 15-16
Sri Vijaya Puram: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration will organise the second edition of the Seafood Festival at Marina Park in Sri Vijaya Puram on January 15 and 16, officials said on Friday. The two-day event is expected to draw both residents and tourists with a wide spread of seafood dishes, cultural performances and live music.
The festival will be jointly organised by the Department of Fisheries and the Directorate of Information, Publicity and Tourism, with financial support from the National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad. Officials said the event aims to promote seafood consumption and highlight the Tuna Cluster Development initiative in the islands. Food enthusiasts, chefs and bloggers from different parts of the world have been invited to take part.
Apart from showcasing the rich seafood diversity of the islands, the festival will focus on fisheries-based livelihoods. Visitors can expect cooking demonstrations, cultural programmes, public competitions and interactive sessions. Awareness about key fisheries schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah Yojana, will also be created through outreach activities and farmer-scientist interactions.
Stalls will be set up for fisheries associations, entrepreneurs, cooperatives, aquarium shops, hotels, restaurants, sport fishing vessel owners, women’s self-help groups and NGOs. These stalls will display a range of products and services such as fresh and frozen fish, value-added seafood products, aquariums, fish feed and sport fishing services.
Officials noted that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have an estimated seafood harvesting potential of about 1.48 lakh tonnes per year, while the current annual harvest stands at around 49,138 tonnes. Tuna harvests are currently about 4,420 tonnes, against a potential of nearly 60,000 tonnes. With an Exclusive Economic Zone spread over nearly six lakh square kilometres, officials said the festival could also help attract global investors to the archipelago. According to official data, India exported 17.81 lakh tonnes of seafood worth Rs 60,523.89 crore during 2023–24.
(with inputs from agencies)
