Date:12/06/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/06/12/stories/2009061250720200.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Aquarium: Minister’s statement welcomed

Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CMFRI-Marine Aquarium Campaign, a Venganoor-based organisation that campaigns for retaining the aquarium and R&D facilities at Vizhinjam, has welcomed the statement of Union Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas that the aquarium would not be shifted out of Vizhinjam.

At the same time, urgent steps also are also needed to ensure that the aquarium and allied facilities are retained at their present location. The State government, years ago, had taken over land near the Vizhinjam coast for relocating the aquarium. However, no steps have been taken so far to construct a building at the site. Vested interests inside the CMFRI, who wish to reduce the importance of Vizhinjam, are interminably delaying the construction in spite of the fact that the ICAR has funds worth crores of rupees, a press note issued here said.

Potential

Hundreds of people visit the aquarium daily. Local fish workers also benefit from this. If the aquarium is shifted from the rented building it now occupies to a more spacious building, it would have unlimited potential to attract visitors. As it is, the centre is operational only due to agitations organised over the last five years.

The Campaign would hand over a study report on this issue to Prof. Thomas, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala and to George Mercier, MLA, during the MPs’ conference to be held in Thiruvananthapuram on June 14 and 15, the press note added.