Calcutta, Dec. 21: The state wants to be the country’s leading exporter of fish, not the fourth, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said today at the inauguration of an export-oriented seafood processing factory on the southern fringes of he city.

“A recent seminar titled Fish for All stressed that everyone must have a bit of fish for its protein,” the chief minister said.

He added that during a discussion with agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan after the seminar, they felt “the need for a fish policy in the state so that there is no discrimination between rich and poor fishermen”.

On the premises of Razban Seafood at Kalikapur, Bhattacharjee said: “There must be a balance between fish production and export. There is also the need for a teaching institution on fishery equivalent to the IITs.”

The fishing harbours at Sankarpur, Diamond Harbour and Namkhana must be upgraded, the chief minister said. “Many private entrepreneurs are interested in fish processing. An international fish-processing zone with Rs 20-crore investment is coming up at Chakberia near Kalikapur.”

Fisheries minister Kiranmoy Nanda said: “We export fish worth Rs 600 crore every year. From Rs 16.4 crore of export in 1982, we have set a target of Rs 1,000 crore for 2007.”

The chief minister also addressed a meeting of the CPM’s women’s wing, the Ganatantrik Mahila Samiti, on the southern fringes of the city at Patuli.

He stressed on the need for women to make a financial contribution to their families. “We do not get respect from our family if we are not able to earn money…all of us know that secret, don’t we?” Bhattacharjee said even as he lashed out at “good-for-nothing” men who take dowry and thrash wives. “What do you call the men who ask for money for marrying — human beings or beasts?” he asked.