Kolkata: Bengal government is chalking out a comprehensive road map in order to utilise all the unused waterbodies across the state for fish farming, thereby increasing the overall fish production in the state, state fisheries minister Chandra Nath Sinha said.
He was speaking at 'Fisheries Conclave: Maximising Production and Ensuring Safety' organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at a city hotel on Tuesday. Bengal has the potential to overtake Andhra Pradesh in fish production within the next couple of years, the minister said.
"If we could utilise the unused waterbodies in the state for pisciculture through more scientific intervention, Bengal will surpass Andhra Pradesh in the near future. A lot of initiatives are being taken to educate people involved in fish farming. Our department is formulating a road map to increase fish production in the next couple of years," Sinha said.
Bengal has exported around 1.7 lakh metric tonne of fishes abroad including 70 thousand tonne of shrimps. Last year, the overall fish production in the state remained at 17.42 lakh metric tonne, while the fisheries department has set a target to increase the productivity up to 18. 5 lakh metric tonne in the next year.
According to sources at the fisheries department, around 15 percent of waterbodies in the state have been lying unused. If these waterbodies could be used for pisciculture, fish production would be manifold. It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said Bengal will be self-reliant in case of fish production. Banerjee's brain child 'Jol Dhoro, Jol Bhoro' project has significant contribution towards the increase in fish production in the state in the past few years. The Fisheries department has developed Moyna in Purba Medinipur district as Bengal's largest fisheries hub, following instructions of the Chief Minister to cut down on fish imports from other states.
A stress has been given to increase the productivity of small fishes as well. Steps have also been taken to use ponds for cultivating small fishes twice in a year. A study has been conducted to examine what species of fishes can be produced in which aquatic conditions in the districts, Sinha said.
"We are trying to increase the production of prawns in the districts. Our department is setting up hatcheries in various places and fingerlings are being distributed among farmers by our department for free," Sinha said.
Soumyajit Das, Managing Director, the State Fisheries Development Corporation (SFDC) Ltd said farmers training, application of scientific food and medicine have been given utmost importance to maximise the production. Ravi Inder Singh, Principal Secretary, department of Fisheries said steps have been taken to strengthen cold chain management in the state. Focus is on creating infrastructure in production and exports of fishes, he added.