Seafood exporters seek aquaculture master plan

With a coastline of 480 km in the State, the Odisha Chapter of the Seafood Exporters’ Association of India has urged the State Government to have a master plan for development of aquaculture.

Association State president Gorachand Mohanty in a letter to Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati has said a district-wise development of aquaculture master plan is needed for the areas which are not developed with proper drainage system and erection of dykes to prevent any ingression of seawater to the agricultural land.

Mohanty has also brought the matter to the notice of Fisheries and animal Resources Development Secretary Bishnupada Sethi.

=Mohanty while appreciating the concerns of the Minister Revenue and Disaster Management over possible ingression of saline water to agriculture land and possible damage of agricultural field due to brackish water aquaculture said both can coexist with proper planning.

However, limiting 2 km and 5 km of high tide line (HTl) for brackish water aquaculture would hamper the plan for achieving export of Rs 10,000 crore in five years and establishment of a seafood park and a cluster of value-added fish process plants as raw material production would be scuttled, he has argued.

Mohanty pointed out that land utilisation in brackish water aquaculture is lowest in Odisha among the coastal States as hardly 5,400 hectares out of 16,383 hectares, which amounts to only 32 per cent compared to 73 per cent in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and 92 per cent in West Bengal.

He also pointed out that culture of shrimp, both Black Tiger and Vannamei, can be done only in brackish water and its sources are canal and creeks connecting to the sea.

Most of the present ponds undertaking shrimp culture are nearer to the creeks and canals, which are not suitable for commercially-feasible agriculture. So conversion of the low-lying paddy fields into ponds has brought the fish farmers huge economic benefits.

In AP, Vannamei shrimp production has crossed 2 lakh tonnes, but it is hardly 22,000 tonnes in Odisha.Against this backdrop, the Odisha Government should act in a positive direction and allow fish farmers to expand shrimp culture in brackish water, Mohanty stated.