Jharkhand will become self-sufficient in fish production shortly, claims State Fisheries Department, as it is working to achieve the production target of 1.40 lakh metric tonnes by financial year 2015-16 and will begin exporting to other states by 2016-17. This production target reflects the demand from Jharkhand against the production target set for financial year 2014-15 at 1.05 lakh metric tonnes.
“There are many initiatives being run by the Department, which are unique to the state, for promoting fishery and supporting fishermen. We intend to utilise the available water resources for optimum production,” stated Agriculture Minister Randhir Singh, while interacting with mediapersons on Tuesday.
Singh also straightaway declined speculations about fish imported from Andhra Pradesh still prominently present in state’s fish markets. “Most of the fish consumed in state now is being supplied by local fish farmers. We are importing merely 30 to 40 per cent of fish from other states and that to will be brought down to zero shortly,” he said.
Recently, the steps taken in Jharkhand regarding improving fish production were appreciated and honoured by the on the occasion of World Fisheries Day, foremost of them being cage culture in fisheries.
“Around 1,200 cages are being installed in the current financial year for improving our fish production index and providing self-employment to those displaced from catchment areas of dams.
This number will be taken up to 5,000 in next two years, which will bump up fish production by 20,000 metric tonnes,” Singh said.
“We were able to clean the Bundu Dam, with help from Matsya Mitras at a fraction of the estimated cost, and begin cage culture there. This initiative has provided a means of livelihood to 153 families who were dependent on the water body. A total of 15 cages have been installed and we are expecting the turnover to be in crore of rupees,” stated Fisheries Director Rajiv Kumar.
The Department is also planning to impart pisciculture training to around 10,000 farmers. Other plans include digging water pits near crop fields and use them for fish farming. These can also be used for irrigation by the farmers, Singh said.
“The members of fishers’ self help groups formed in villages are doing well and we are also distributing incentives, like vans and cash, for encouraging them to keep up the good work,” he added.
The Department is also setting up feed mills in Ranchi, Chandil, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ramgarh and Koderma to promote feed-based fisheries, with the first three in production stage already.