Fish Production Surges In J&K, Reaches 1990 Tons
SRINAGAR: The fish production in Jammu and Kashmir has increased massively during the last four years and has reached 1990 tons during the financial year 2022-23.
Figures from the fisheries department, Kashmir reveals that the fish production in the valley has increased 5840 tons in the last four years and over 366.12 lakhs of revenue have been realised.
Director Fisheries, Mohammed Farooq Dar told Kashmir Observer that the government has launched several initiatives to boost the industry and help the farmers in the production.
He said 1144 Trout Rearing Units have been established under the Private sector, and out of them 611 units (56%) have been established during the last four years to provide gainful employment to the youth.
“The land and water efficient fish culture technologies viz. RAS, Biofloc etc have been introduced for the first time in 202021, and during the last 03 years 27 biofloc and RAS units have been established successfully in the private sector,” he added.
The trout production has increased 1392 from the last four years, he said.
An official of the fisheries department said during the last four years the sector has corented as major food resource and an employment generation activity.
He said the UT has already achieved major breakthroughs in the introduction of Trout culture, Carp culture, modern aquaculture technologies (RAS, Biofloc etc) in the private sector.
“Although Fisheries and Aquaculture have grown in absolute terms, the development in terms of its potential and adoption of fisheries as an economic enterprise is being realized after 2019,” he said.
He further said as the fisheries sector is extremely diverse and dynamic, the department introduced new schemes, infused public and private investments, and took innovative steps for the benefit of farmers and fishers towards optimal resource utilization and development of the sector as an instrument of growth.
He said considering such aspects, the department has launched comprehensive fisheries development initiative under both the UT CAPEX and under Centrally Sponsored scheme PMMSY) which is being implemented in the UT since 2020.
“During the last four years the department modernized and strengthened the Govt infrastructure on one hand and also increased the rearing space by establishment of hatcheries and raceway/ ponds,” he said adding “The department introduced land and water efficient technologies viz. RAS, Biofloc etc. Department is expecting an increase in the growth rate from existing 3.28% to 40% over the next 05 years”
“The implementation of such a plan shall pave the way to make the UT self-sufficient in fish production,” he added.
Dar told Kashmir Observer that, to increase capital and credit flow to the aquaculture sector, the department for the first time introduced extension of KCC to the fishers in 2020.
“Up to September 2023, 1171 cases have been sponsored out of which 758 have been sanctioned. An amount of 7819.23 lac has been disbursed for meeting the working capital requirement of the fish farmers,” he noted.
He said, the Fish Feed Mills and Trout seed hatcheries have been established for the first time during the last 04 years as an economic enterprise.
The fund flow to the fisheries under the UT CAPEX (Plan) Budget has been increased by 34%, he added.