Adopting a multi-pronged strategy for increasing production of fish and laying emphasis on diversification of pisciculture, Haryana Fisheries Department has fixed a target to produce 1,375 lakh fish seeds at 15 Government fish seed farms in fiscal 2016-17 in the State.
Apart from this, a provision had been made in the plan scheme for the establishment of ornamental fish hatchery and training centre in district Jhajjar at a cost of Rs540 lakh in 2016-17, said an official spokesman.
He said that the Government has fixed a target to produce 1,375 lakh fish seed and has approved budget provision of Rs2 crore for 2016-17. The department has also proposed a Rs10.46-crore project for culture of ‘Pangasius sutchi’ fish for 2016-17 to be set up with the help of National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad. A proposal in this regard has been submitted to the State Government, he added.
After the successful trial of White Shrimp ‘letopenaeus vennamei’ culture in saline areas in 2014-15 and 2015-16, the department would now explore the possibility of covering maximum saline area for Shrimp Culture. Fish farmers would be provided 50 per cent subsidy for development of infrastructure per unit, he said.
The department has also proposed a project to the tune of Rs1,270.58 lakh for 2016-17 for the culture of White Shrimp in saline areas and for pisciculture in water-logged areas under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. The department has submitted to the Central Government a proposal of Rs11.50 crore project to set up a Centre of Excellence for Shrimp Culture in saline water in district Jhajjar. Under this project, technical know-how and advanced technology would be provided to the fish farmers in Haryana, he added.
Since the present State Government came into power on October 6, 2014 as many as 17,800.22 hectare have been brought under pisciculture till June 30, 2016. Also, 7034.34 lakh fish seed have been stocked. Apart from this, 1,52,114.50 metric tonne (MT) fish has been produced during the same period, said the spokesman.
He informed that 20,000 fingerlings of ‘labeo calbasu’, 90,000 IMC and 5,000 ‘Mahseer’ fish seed have been stocked in the Dadupur Headworks of Western Yamuna Canal in district Yamunanagar for conservation of these fish.
He added that pisciculture being an important source of income and employment generation in Haryana, which ranks second in terms of fish productivity per hectare per year, the State Government has increased the department plan budget from Rs1,315 lakh to Rs1,765 lakh for current fiscal 2016-17.