After achieving record growth of 13 per cent in fish production during 2014-15 and the Odisha Pisciculture Development Corporation ltd (OPDCl) being selected for International Star Award for leadership in quality production during current year, the State has now initiated steps for further augmentation of fish production through collaborations and partnerships.
A meeting to this effect was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati here on Thursday wherein Secretary of Fisheries and Animal Resource Development Bishnupada Sethi outlined the issues for discussion. Experts from the World Fish Centre, Malaysia, CIFA and IFC deliberated on the issues.
The issues relating to building familiarity with the international fish organisations, identifying fishery strength of the State, spot out areas for future collaboration, work out details of project variables and bringing in more private sector investment were discussed.
Chief Executive of Chilika Development Authority (CDA) Ajit Patnaik appraised that the innovative technique of preparation of dry fish through solar drier has successfully been implemented through CDA initiatives. Additional Chief Secretary Finance R Balakrishnan advised the department to prepare a bankable scheme for replication of this good practice in other fishing clusters of the State.
Principal Secretary of Water Resources PK Jena suggested to undertake pisciculture in water reservoirs and said the Water Resources Department can leverage its resources for making the reservoirs conducive for the purpose. He further suggested that the families displaced for creation of water reservoirs be organised to SHGs and provided the opportunity of carrying on pisciculture there with technical support from the department.
The Chief Secretary advised the Fisheries & Animal Resource Development Department to focus on development of quality seeds, certification of seeds supplied by hatcheries, expansion of the brood bank for quality brood stock, application of research outcomes at field level, adoption of scientific techniques and development of ‘organic brand’ for Chilika fishes. He also advised to work out an institutional mechanism for ensuring field application of the laboratory findings.
Department Secretary Sethi was advised to prepare a draft roadmap for realisation of these objectives and put it to Government for consideration.