“Network for Fish Quality Management and Sustainable Fishing” (NETFISH), a society registered under the MPEDA

The seafood industry has to adopt modern techniques of handling and processing, besides taking suitable quality control measures to maintain the quality of the seafood.  All the seafood products need to be handled with utmost care from the place of capture to the site of shipment, and any lapse in handling, processing, storage and distribution can lead to deterioration of the quality.  Due to improper handling on board fishing vessels and at the landing centers, a good quantity of the landings is wasted owing to inferior in quality.  Maintenance of hygiene in processing plants, landing centers, fishing crafts and personnel working in these areas are important aspects for the improvement of quality of marine products. MPEDA has been playing a crucial role to ensure that the seafood products exported from the country to international markets meet the required standards by arranging sector-wise training programmes for the technologists, processors, pre-processors, fish handlers, fishermen, boat crew and other persons handling fishery products at various stages in our country under the scheme of “Integrated Development Programme for Seafood Quality and Extension Services”.  However, these efforts have not produced the desired results  owing to the vastness of the problems and the absence of a machinery to work at the grassroots level with the fishermen, fish workers, pre processors, processing workers, etc. and as a result,  the extension programmes, which are being carried out, do not bring the desired results.   Imparting training to fishermen of various categories at the grassroots level is a challenging endeavour for which the involvement of agencies working close to the fishermen,  is absolutely necessary.  Besides, training fishermen in post harvest handling and other techniques require dedicated efforts of various agencies that opt voluntarily and have aptitude for the same.

In this background, the MPEDA felt  that with a view to guaranteeing the quality of seafood exported, it had to evolve a new mechanism for capacity building in quality management at the grassroots level by networking with fishermen societies, federations and other non-governmental organizations which work closely with the fishing community.  The conventional system of extension through the official machinery needs to be replaced by an agency which can reach out to the grassroots levels and mobilize  organizations whose primary objective is to work for the welfare of fishermen and such agency will be far more effective in imparting training to fishermen and fish workers.  Besides, resource constraints are also being  faced by MPEDA in mobilizing sufficient staff for extension activities.  The regional offices located in various maritime States lack sufficient staff for extension work and their impact is extremely limited.  In this context, it was therefore necessary that the MPEDA utilize the services of experts, scientists, technologists, etc who voluntarily agree to work for this without any payment or regular salary but on a contract or honorary basis, which will also facilitate utilization of available talents in our country for  extension works.  It is, in this context a proposal to formulate an independent society under the aegis of MPEDA, named as “Network for Fish Quality Management and Sustainable Fishing” (NETFISH) was formulated and has been approved by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India.  The Society has been registered under the Travancore Cochin Literary, Scientific & Charitable Societies Act, 1955, at Ernakulam.  All extension programmes of the MPEDA, in the fishing and processing sectors, will henceforth be  under taken through this Society.   In due course, the society is expected to generate more fund  by organizing trainings on HACCP, HACCP audit, preparation of HACCP manuals, organizing workshops on value added seafoods, certification of  organic aqua products, consultancy services for the seafood industry, sale of priced literatures, etc.The headquarters of NETFISH will be in the MPEDA complex, Vallarpadom, Kochi-31 and will be headed by a Chief Executive officer.