Karnataka has approved a proposal to establish a smart seafood park at Balkunje in Dakshina Kannada district, with the project expected to create processing, cold-storage, packaging and research infrastructure on 150 acres identified within an industrial area near Mangaluru. The proposal is now awaiting funding and further detailed planning before implementation can begin.
The integrated project is estimated to cost ₹700 crore. Its first phase, covering buildings and essential infrastructure, has been estimated at ₹30 crore. The park is planned to include an international-standard laboratory, modern packaging facilities and an automated seafood storage unit with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes.
The proposal was submitted through the Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation, or KFDC. According to the proposal, the park could help increase the state’s seafood export business from the current ₹5,000 crore to ₹8,000 crore by supporting value addition, fish preservation, processing and packaging.
Officials have said the project could generate employment for about 10,000 people. The park is also intended to provide plots to enterprises based on their industrial requirements, similar to an industrial area. Businesses involved in seafood value addition from anywhere in India would be allowed to operate there, according to the information provided by KFDC officials.
The location was changed after an earlier proposal for a seafood park at 35 acres owned by KFDC in Niddodi was dropped following opposition from local residents. The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board subsequently decided to reserve 150 acres at Balkunje, where land had been identified for an industrial area, for the seafood park. A fresh proposal was then prepared.
The project’s immediate administrative challenge is land acquisition and compensation. A district administration official said a substantial amount of funding would be required to acquire the land and compensate affected people. Early release of compensation funds from the government would allow the administration to prepare the detailed project report and proceed with the next stage, the official said.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Darshan H.V. said the state government had approved the seafood park and that further implementation steps would be taken after the detailed report was prepared. The approval therefore establishes the project in principle but does not yet indicate a construction start date, final funding schedule or operational deadline.
Environmental infrastructure is also part of the proposal. Seafood processing can generate wastewater and fish waste, raising concerns about pollution in surrounding areas. KFDC officials said a common effluent treatment plant was being considered to scientifically manage wastewater. The proposal also includes processing fish waste into reusable products, fish oil and other value-added products.
The proposed park is intended to consolidate several parts of the seafood supply chain in one industrial location, including storage, processing, testing and packaging. Its next formal milestone is the preparation of the detailed project report, alongside decisions on land acquisition funding and subsequent implementation.
