4.1l tonnes produced against requirement of 3.8l tones
The State Government on Wednesday emphasised on formulation and efficient implementation of a strong fisheries policy so that the State’s fishing sector would create massive employments for youths and, thus, help State economy grow.
A State-level consultation workshop of Draft Fisheries Policy of Odisha was organised jointly by the International Financial Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank and the Fisheries and Animal Resource Development Department here on Wednesday.
Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra called upon the participants to articulate excellence and efficiency in policy implementation and monitoring.
He said the per capita consumption of fish in Odisha is 11 kg against the country’s average 6.08 kg. “There is need for booming up economic activity in this sector and bridging up the gap between demand and supply,” he said, adding that there is a vast scope for creation of livelihood and engagement of people in this sector through a comprehensive policy intervention.
The Chief Secretary said, “The State’s thrust has been to achieve cereal food security and now we have to look towards nutritional security as well. Fish food provides additional nutrition to our food basket.”
Finance Secretary UN Behera said many fishermen in the State are landless and they largely depend on fish-capture. “We have to intervene with strategies for increasing fishing stock in reservoirs, rivers, community tanks and traditional water courses for enhancing potentiality of fish-capture. He also advised to enshrine detail marketing arrangement of fishing in the draft policy.
Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Secretary Bishnupada Sethi said Odisha has become a fish-surplus State now and the State has yet vast potential to exploit. “The fisheries policy aims at achieving sustainable fishery in the State,” he said.
According to official information, the State has 6.75 hectares of freshwater resources and 4.18 lakh hectares of brackish water resources. While the fishery potential is 5.14 lakh tons, the State produced 4.10 lakh tonnes of fish during 2012-13. As per a WHO survey, the State’s domestic consumption is around 3.8 lakh tonnes. The State is exporting around 1.16 lakh tones of brackish water fish per annum. But, it is still importing a part of its freshwater fish requirement from neighbouring States. Union Fisheries Commissioner Bishnu Bhatt suggested that the Centre’s target of six per cent annual growth of fishery in the country should be integrated in the State policy as well.
Among others, Bureau of Fisheries Dr RK Jena, IFC consultant Dr B Sampad and Fish Co Fed MD BK Mishra were present. Experts from CIFA, NBFGR, NABARD, Fishery Officers and farmers from different parts of the State participated in the workshop.