Bhubaneswar: National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) sponsored a 5-day training program on “Advances in Fish Nutrition and Feed Technology” is being organised by the Fish Nutrition and Physiology Division of ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture in Bhubaneswar, Monday.
Around 25 participants from 8 states of India are participating in this training program. The participants comprise officials of state fisheries department, NGOs, FISHCOFED, social service organisations, University teachers, entrepreneurs and progressive fish farmers.
The program was inaugurated by Bindu R. Pillai, Director, ICAR-CIFA, Bhubaneswar. On the occasion she said that through pisciculture, the production and income of the farmers can be enhanced and the targeted levels of fish production (5-6 tons/ha) could be achieved in the country
S.S.Giri, Head, Fish Nutrition and Physiology Division, ICAR-CIFA, Bhubaneswar said about the present status of fish and feed production in the country. He said that fisheries in India are a very important economic activity and a flourishing sector with varied resources and potentials. Only after the Indian Independence, has fisheries together with agriculture been recognised as an important sector. The sector has seen an 11–fold increase in just six decades, (from 0.75 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 9.6 million tonnes during 2012–13).
According to the data released by the government in 2017-18, the total fish production in India was 12.59 million tonnes (mt) and the country exported 1.38 mt fish and fish products with a value of over Rs 45,000 crore in 2017-18. According to the Handbook on Fisheries Statistics – 2018, unveiled by Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Giriraj Singh, while inland capture fisheries accounted for 8.9 mt, the share of marine fisheries was 3.69 mt. India is currently the second largest producer of fisheries after China.