‘Fisheries & aquaculture an important source of food, nutrition, employment, income & forex’
NEW DELHI: India is the 2nd largest fish producing country with around 8 per cent share in global fish production, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said on Tuesday while briefing the media on the important decisions taken and achievements of the ministry in 100 days of the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj Prof. S P Singh Baghel, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Ministry of Minority Affairs George Kurian, Secretary, Department of Fisheries Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi and Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying Alka Upadhyay were also present at the media briefing.
Rajiv Ranjan Singh said that Fisheries and aquaculture are an important source of food, nutrition, employment, income and foreign exchange. Fish being an affordable and rich source of healthy animal protein and omega 3-fatty acids, it offers immense potential to mitigate hunger and malnutrition.
Fisheries and aquaculture is a promising sector that provides livelihood and employment opportunities to about 3 crore fishers and fish farmers at the primary level and several lakhs along the value chain. India is one of the top shrimp producing and exporting nations and third largest capture fisheries producer. During last ten years, the government has taken up several transformational initiatives for holistic development of fisheries and aquaculture sector, the Minister told the media.
Some of the highlights of the achievements of the ministry are: creation of new Department of Fisheries and Ministry for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, highest ever investments in fisheries totalling to Rs 38,572 crore, implementation under process of flagship Scheme Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) since 2020-21, with investment target of Rs.20,050 crore which is the highest ever investment in Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector in the country.
The Minister said that projects worth Rs 20,687.28 crore have been approved under PMMSY during the last four years. The country also saw record National Fish Production which rose from 7.52 lakh tonne in 1950-51 to an all-time record of 175.45 lakh tons in 2022-23, which is more than 23-fold increase in national fish production.
He said that fish production from inland fisheries and aquaculture increased from mere 2.18 lakh tons in 1950-51 to 131.33 lakh tons in 2022-23. Also, the seafood exports of India have more than doubled since 2013-14. While the seafood exports stood at Rs 30,213 crore in 2013-14, it has increased to Rs 60,523.89 crore during 2023-24 an increase of 100 per cent in spite of pandemic imposed challenges in global markets. Today, Indian seafood is exported to 129 countries with the largest overseas market being USA.
In the last 9 years there has been a boom in shrimp cultivation and export especially from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. Similarly, the shrimp exports have more than doubled with an increase of about 107 per cent from Rs.19,368 crore at the end of 2013-14 to Rs 40,013.54 crore at the end of 2023-24. The fisheries sector of India has gradually evolved over the years to become an important pillar of socio-economic growth of the nation. The fisheries sector in India has shown a sustained annual average growth rate of 8.61 per cent.
With increased production and availability of fish, domestic fish consumption that stood at less than 5 kg per capita in 2013-14 has increased to 13.1 Kg/capita as of now and DoF (GoI) envisages to peg the current global average of more than 20 kg per capita. In line with the Viksit Bharat@2047 plan, the Department has chalked out its 5-year priority plans and activities that give the required focus and fillip to the sector. Many new initiatives have been launched and announced in the past one month to mark the occasion of 100 days of the Modi government.
