With a likely fish production level of over 1,400 metric tonnes valued over Rs8 crore, the State’s Gobind Sagar reservoir is expected to witness record fish production during the current year bringing enhanced income and cheers to 2,500 fishermen, belonging to 30 fishermen co-operative societies.
Principal secretary (Fisheries) Tarun Shridhar said that this year production output in State’s fish basket was of crucial importance as only three years back during 2011-2012, the fisheries from this major water body had plummeted to rock bottom level of 620 tonnes — less than half than the present production.
Shridhar said that happy turn-around in production level was attributed not only to the series of management and development efforts undertaken by the department but also the meticulous and intensive fishing efforts made by the fishermen community.
The regular fishermen training programmes were also reoriented and made need- specific. All these efforts borne fruit in resulting spurt in fish production and virtually, doubling of fishermen average monthly incomes.
Among the large reservoirs of the country, the Gobind Sagar reservoir is consistently maintaining highest per hectare production level in the country for over last three decades.