PMMSY envisages an investment target of Rs 526 crore during the financial years 2020-21 to 2024-25 to promote brackish water aquaculture while generating 3 lakh employment opportunities.

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India organized a webinar on ‘Promoting Inland Saltwater Aquaculture’ on Sunday. This was the eighth webinar of the series as a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The program was presided over by Jatindra Nath Swain, Secretary, Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India.
The event was attended by DoF officials from the Government of India and States/UTs, scientists from ICAR fisheries institutes, professors from state agricultural, veterinary and fisheries universities, entrepreneurs, fish farmers, hatchery owners, and others associated with the aquaculture industry. More than 100 participants including stakeholders participated.

In his inaugural address, Union Secretary Fisheries Swain discussed the development of the fisheries sector and sustainable use of the fisheries resources available in the country. He informed about the efforts supported to promote aquaculture in saline/alkaline areas and ‘converting barren land into wealth land’ under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMSY), technology-assisted training and training for farmers. With the help of capacity building programmes, market linkages, availability of quality seeds, fodder and good aquaculture practices, the importance of aquaculture in low productivity brackish water affected soils was highlighted.

Plan to create 3 lakh jobs in aquaculture

He also informed about the role of fisheries sector in food and nutritional security along with other initiatives taken by the government for promotion of fisheries and aquaculture under PMMSY for the benefit of fishermen and fish farmers and employment generation. Gave.

Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries) in his inaugural address highlighted the present status and potential of brackish water aquaculture in the northern states, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. He informed that PMMSY has envisaged an investment target of Rs 526 crore during the financial years 2020-21 to 2024-25 to promote brackish aquaculture while generating 3 lakh employment opportunities.

Emphasis on increasing aquaculture in salt water

He emphasized on adopting and promoting technologies like RAS, Biofloc etc. in these states along with development of facilities like testing laboratory network, feed plant, cold chain and marketing infrastructure to reduce the cost of production at one stop. The importance of the model for cluster development was also explained. He also highlighted the importance of trained manpower for species diversification, disposal of waste brackish water, shrimp farming for sustainable inland saltwater aquaculture.

Dr. J Balaji, Joint Secretary (Marine Fisheries) briefly highlighted the challenges faced in the development of inland brackish water aquaculture while referring to the webinar. He mentioned about all necessary support, infrastructure with quality seeds, entrepreneurship model, organic shrimp aquaculture and importance of the sector for sustainable development of brackish aquaculture in these four northern states. He also underlined the importance of entrepreneurship and private investment in the development of the aquaculture sector, including saltwater inland aquaculture.