``The aquaculture authority bill will regulate shrimp farming in coastal areas,'' he said presiding over the 12th Indian seafood trade fair.

The aquaculture bill, which was passed by Rajya Sabha in 1997 but lapsed after 11th Lok Sabha was dissolved in March last, had been redrawn taking into consideration representations of farmers and environmentalists, he said.

The new fisheries policy would include national welfare scheme for fishermen, accident insurance, development of model fishermen villages, setting up of hygienic fish market in important cities, establishment of cold chain and provision for alternate employment for fishermen in off-season, he said.

Commerce minister Ramakrishna Hegde, who inaugurated the fair, saidgovernment was considering modifications to the deep sea fishing policy.

Stating that deep sea fishing had not been exploited and developed to tap the ``inexhaustible wealth of fish,'' he said traditional fishermen would have to be educated on benefits of deep sea fishing.

Sompal said government would soon come out with a master strategy with the help of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to improve production of marine products in the country.

Referring to the deep sea fishing policy, he said leading scientists in the country were being consulted to give proper shape to it.

Stating that India's fish production had shown tremendous growth in the last couple of decades, he said total fish production had touched a record 24.4 lakh tonnes in 1998.

The government planned to double fish production in the next five years and to facilitate it, substantial outlay had been planned in the Ninth Plan. During the Eight Plan, Rs 1,172 crore had been allocated to the sector, he said.

Referringto the ban on Indian shrimp imports by the US on environmental grounds and barring of marine products imports by the European Union in 1997, Hegde said such non-tariff barriers were being raised on ``silly grounds.''

``These nations are trying to frustrate and defeat WTO (World Trade Organisation) rules and regulations from being implemented,'' he said.

Andhra Pradesh fisheries minister A Chandrasekhar asked the centre to immediately pass the aquaculture bill. Marine export promotion development authority (MPEDA) chairman K Jose Cyriac said over 100 stalls, both from within the country and abroad, were at display in the fair, while over 500 Indian and 100 foreign delegates were taking part in various business sessions at the three-day fair.