Ornamental fish exports fail to meet target

KOCHI:  The Kerala Aqua Ventures International Limited (KAVIL) to export ornamental fish was launched when an export hub park was set up at Kadungalloor, near Aluva, with six hubs.  However, till February 2012, only 25 exports have been carried out by all six hubs together. As per the detailed project report (DPR), each hub was expected to have an output of 2.5 lakh fish every month. The average price of an ornamental fish of any type comes around `20.Surprisingly, at a time when the satellite farms and homesteads were reportedly struggling to survive, KAVIL managing director A Gopalakrishnan Nair and a senior official in the rank of additional chief secretary to the Government of Kerala visited Chicago to study the possibilities of setting up a hub there! ‘’Travel expenses of both these persons were met by the company. Within four months of their return, the official was transferred to another department. What gain did the company have with this journey,’’ asks C S George, whose son owns a hub.Another investor Krishnakumar of Ambalappuzha reportedly landed in financial crisis. He was running two MPEDA-certified shrimp hatcheries, which were modified for farming of ornamental fish. ‘’With the modification of hatcheries, I had to stop the business of shrimp exports which was fetching me a fortune of  `5-6 lakh a month. The activities of KAVIL are not transparent. When I complained, I was sacked from the board of directors and the hub allotted to me was declared as seized by the company,’’ he said.However, Gopalakrishnan Nair denied the allegation and said that the hub owners who withdrew from the business were not bothered to source fish from satellite farms and homesteads. ‘’Sourcing fish and its export is the responsibility of hub owners. KAVIL is ready to repay the investors if they wish to withdraw,’’  the KAVIL MD said. He maintained that exports were going on smoothly. ‘’Even last week, we sent 37 boxes of fish to Dubai. It has been just one-and-a-half years since the company started functioning. It will take time to pick up,’’ he said.