Bhubaneswar: Odisha Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik Thursday said the government has aimed to make the state a major blue economy growth centre of India.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a state-level stakeholder consultation workshop on “Odisha Deep Sea Fisheries Mission & Odisha Shrimp Mission, Mallik said that the state government is committed to making both these missions successful.
He said that his department also aims to develop Odisha as a hub for marine fish production and shrimp export in eastern India.
Through the “Odisha Deep Sea Fisheries Mission”, the deep and distant sea fisheries of the Bay of Bengal will be explored.
A target was set to generate an additional 2 lakh metric tonnes of marine fish production annually along with employment opportunities for more than 50,000 individuals, he pointed out.
“The income of fishermen will increase by two to three times. The annual marine export earnings are set to increase to Rs 5,000 crore by 2036,” the minister said.
To meet the ambitious target, the state government will strengthen its fishery infrastructure in the next five years, he stated.
“Our target is to build 150 new deep-sea vessels, modernise 500 mechanical boats; upgradation of fishing ports like Paradip, Dhamra, Chandipur and Astaranga to international standard and development of infrastructure for 103 fish landing centres,” the minister said.
Malik further said that the “Odisha Shrimp Mission” will play a revolutionary role in the Blue Economy roadmap.
Super-intensive shrimp farming system will be used to produce 30 to 40 metric tonnes per hectare per year, while twin hatcheries, feed mills and related infrastructure will be developed in coming days, he pointed out.
During the workshop, the Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development has signed an MoU with the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), Chennai, for the promotion of sustainable fish farming through ‘Responsible Aquaculture Zone Planning’ and ‘Geospatial Mapping’.
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