The production of brackish water fish increased from 11,460 MT in the year 2011-12 to 97,125 MT in 2020-21, thereby marking a record growth of 747.51%. Similarly, the area under brackish water aquaculture increased from 5,860 hectares to 17,780 hectares during the same period.
Concomitantly, the sea food export value from Odisha also increased from Rs 801 crore in the year 2011-12 to Rs 3,107 crore in the year 2020-21 in spite of the economic slowdown caused by Covid-19. The quantum of export in the year 2011-12 was around 21,311 MT which increased to 60,718 MT in the year 2020-21.
This was known from a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra.
Secretary Fisheries and Animal resources Development R Raghu Prasad appraised that Odisha sea food has caught the global market more particularly in Japan, China, countries in USA, European Union, South East Asia and Middle East.
A review showed recently around 2,000 applications for brackish water aquaculture were submitted to different tehsils in six coastal districts, Baleswar, Bhardak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam. Chief Secretary Mahapatra directed the concerned district administrations to take quick action on the proposals as per the existing provisions.
Mahapatra directed to tap the potentialities in the sector by bringing in the self-help groups, primary fishermen cooperative societies, women cooperatives, educated unemployed enterprising youths, partnership farms and State owned cooperatives on commercial basis. He directed the Departments of Revenue and Disaster Management, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development and Forest and Environment and the IDCO to work out a dynamic and facilitating policy for taping the available potential of brackish water aquaculture.