CHENNAI: The All India Shrimp Hatcheries Association (AISHA) said on Thursday that the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) Amendment Act will boost productivity in the shrimp industry multiple times from current levels.

"With this amendment in the CAA Act 2005, we are expecting a huge productivity increase from the current 8.75 lakh tonnes to nearly 20 lakh tonnes in the coming 4 to 5 years. We expect the direct and indirect employment to increase from the current 2 lakhs to 6 lakhs. In Tamil Nadu alone, 85 hatcheries employ close to 1 lakh people spread across 25,000 hectares producing nearly 35,000 tonnes of produce. Unfortunately, only 7,000 hectares are being utilised producing 35,000 tonnes of shrimps for domestic and international exports. We now expect this to increase to 1 lakh tonnes in the coming years upon full utilisation of land. Even our contribution to the Forex will jump from the current Rs 40,000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore, " said G Calraj, president of AISHA.

"The Association of Indian Shrimp Hatcheries thank the Union Minister of Fisheries Parshottam Khodabhai Rupala, Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, L. Murugan for taking efforts to get the amendment passed in Parliament, " he added.