Inland Fisheries Need Accelerated Development

Addressing the Consultative Committee attached to his ministry, Shri Pawar said that one of the interventions could be an integrated approach with effective forward and backward linkages through production chain to marketing.

He said: The existing Fish Farmers Development Agencies and Brackish water Fish Farmers Development Agencies also need to be revamped; large scale adoption of culture based capture fisheries in reservoirs and larger water bodies should be encouraged for optimising the productivity of aquatic resources.

Shri Pawar said that keeping in view the importance and growth of inland fisheries sector, the Government has formulated several centrally sponsored and central sector schemes which are being implemented through the respective State Governments and Union Territories. Rs 300 crore was allocated for the inland fisheries development scheme during the XIth Plan.

In addition, Rs 215 crore has been provided for welfare, training and strengthening of fishery database. A National Mission for Protein Supplement has been launched with an outlay of Rs 100 crore for inland fisheries sector.

The Minister informed the Committee that some major initiatives has been undertaken for the development of fisheries sector. These include introduction of high value commercial species, pilot projects on cage and pen culture, guidelines for modern bill on inland fisheries and aquaculture and guidelines for development of seed certification and accreditation system.

India is one of the leading producers of fish, contributing to 5.54 per cent of global fish production. Out of total fish production of eight million tonnes in the country, contribution of inland sector is five million tonnes which is about 63 per cent of total fish production.

Total value of output from fisheries sector during 2009-10 is estimated at nearly Rs 68,000 crores which is about five per cent of the total production of agriculture and allied sectors. During 2010-11, 7.5 lakh tonne of fish and fish products worth Rs 12,100 crore were exported.

Ministers of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Shri Harish Rawat and Dr Charan Das Mahant were present in the meeting.

MPs who participated in the meeting are: Shri Sharief-ud-din Sharif, Shri Dhruva Narayana Rangaswamy, Shri M. Krishnaswamy, Shri K. Sugumar, Shri K.P. Dhanapalan, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Shri Kunvarjibhai Bavalia and Smt. Santosh Chowdhary of Lok Sabha, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, Shri Govindrao Adik, Dr. K.P. Ramalingam, Shri T.M. Selvaganapathi and Ms Mabel Rebello of Rajya Sabha.