Abdul Nasir highlights fish shortage
Source: The Sangai Express / Manipur Info Centre

New Delhi, September 16 2014: Md Abdul Nasir, Minister of Fisheries, Manipur said that annual requirement of table fish for 27.21 lakh population of Manipur was estimated at 40,000 MT against production of 28,000 MT in the State showing a huge gap of 12,000 MT.

At present, the shortage is being met by bringing fish from the other States.

The Minister was speaking during the Conference of State Ministers of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries held at National Agricultural Science Centre, Pusa here today with Union Minister of Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh in the chair.

He said that more than 99 pc of the total population of the State, fish was a prized delicacy and the demand of fish is very high in the State.

The natural fisheries resources comprise of natural lakes, reservoirs, rivers and ponds covering 56,461 hectares of water areas.

Out of this, 19,400 hectares had been developed for fish farming.

Abdul Nasir said that the State Government has proposed to construct 40 more hatcheries in the private sector, in addition to the nine Circular Chinese Hatcheries constructed with funds from National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) with a target of 160 million of fingerlings per year.

He stated, �Massive training programme is essential for educating around traditional fishermen of scientific aquaculture.

During last year, 1220 fishermen were trained with the funds from NFDB and under the Centrally sponsored schemes of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna.

Sixty fishermen were sent to West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh as part of the exposure visit during the period.� He drew the attention of the Centre and the NFDB to be generous in providing more funds for organizing training programme in the State.

He informed the Ministry that the State Government submitted project proposal for construction of new fishery ponds twice to the NFDB during 2013-2014.Once the NFDB cleared the projects, it would definitely give a new lease of life to the poor and needy farmers.

He drew the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture and allied sector in general and NFDB in particular to consider the proposal of the State Government generously in the interest of poor fish farmers of the State.

For conservation and development of some of the important local endangered indigenous fish like Osteobrama Belangerri (Pengba), Wallago Attu (Sareng), Labeo Bata (Ngaton), Clarius Betrachus (Ngakra), Anabus Testudineous (Ukabi), he said that the State Government has taken up multiplication of their seeds by induced breeding and culture of these species in ponds and ranching in natural water areas.

He sought financial assistance for conservation of local indigenous fish species through artificial breeding and wild ranching.

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