By IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 21 Nov 2014: The central government is planning to launch Blue, announced Radha Mohan Singh, Minister for Agriculture on World Fisheries Day Friday. The National Fisheries Development Board under his ministry organized events on the occasion at Pragati Maidan here today.
The minister informed that India ranks No. 2 in the world in fish production and also the second highest aquaculture country in the world. India with a fishermen population of 14.5 million and a coastal line of 8118 kilometers can rise to be a major player in the world fisheries. India also has a fleet of 200,000 fishing vessels and last year has exported fish worth $5 billion.
The Minister informed that India has a vast area of unutilized and untapped Inland water resources and is short of for quality fish seed and formulated fish feed and government will focus on filling the critical gaps.
He informed that the central government has announced a new scheme “Blue Revolution-Inland Fisheries” in the last budget session and it is likely to launch very soon a programme to usher in Blue Revolution in the country.
Even though the per capita income consumption in the world for fish is 18 kilograms per annum, India stands at 8 kilograms. India currently produces 9.58 million metric tonnes of fish out of which 64% of production is Inland and 36% is from marine sources.
