Minister of fisheries, ports and inland water transport Mankal S Vaidya said that the department will build a state-of-the-art fish market complex in Hebbal, Bengaluru, at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore.

He was speaking after inaugurating the National Fish Farmers Day and a workshop on 'Strategies for Bridging the Yield Gap in Fisheries and Aquaculture - BYGFISH 2.0' organised by the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU), Bidar, College of Fisheries Mangalore and fisheries department on Saturday.
While the fish market will come up on three acres of land belonging to the department of animal husbandry, the department will also build an office complex for it at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore in Hebbal, he said.

The department has plans to set up a seafood park at Byndoor at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The fish catch in the region can be processed at the seafood park to be set up in Byndoor for export. The processed seafood can also can be used domestically. The initiative will help fishermen from the coast to increase their income, the minister said.

He said a training centre will come up at Manki in Uttara Kannada. Meanwhile, to promote inland fishing, a fish seed farm and rearing centre will be developed at Almatti at a cost of Rs 25 crore.

A skill development centre will also be set up at Almatti at a cost of Rs 10 crore. On a demand for a fisheries university, the minister said the government will convert the College of Fisheries Mangalore, into an autonomous university in a phased manner.

As Karnataka has only one Fisheries College, it is difficult to announce a university. The setting up of the skill development centre, and training centres in various parts of the state is aimed to supplement the process of setting up a university, he said.