Bhopal, Oct 23 (PTI) India has entered the development phase of a national action plan for inland small-scale fisheries, aiming to boost fish production to 30 million tonnes over the next five years, a senior official said on Friday.
Union Fisheries Secretary Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, who formally launched the development phase of the National Plan of Action (NPOA) for small-scale inland fisheries, said the initiative will focus on improving livelihoods, strengthening value chains, and enhancing coordination and better management of freshwater resources.
“India has set a target of 30 million tonnes in fish production over the next five years, while seafood exports are expected to rise to Rs 1.25 lakh crore,” an official release quoted Likhi as saying.
The plan is being developed under the framework of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the initiative is being led by the Union Department of Fisheries in collaboration with the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO).
Addressing the gathering, Likhi called for a mission-mode outreach programme to take the proposed NPOA to fishing communities across the country.
“The document must translate into practical improvements in livelihoods rather than remain confined to government offices”, he said, adding that the proposed plan must prioritise sustainability amid the climate crisis and strengthen value chains to improve the income of fishermen.
Highlighting the sector’s current status, the senior official said that India had achieved an annual fish production of 19.7 million tonnes, with inland fisheries contributing approximately three-fourths of this output, while seafood exports had crossed Rs 70,000 crore.
He, however, stressed that production and export growth must go hand in hand with securing the livelihoods of small-scale fishermen.
Likhi also flagged climate change and deteriorating water quality as major concerns for inland fisheries, citing challenges such as declining oxygen levels in water bodies.
He said that the plan must incorporate measures to build climate resilience, drawing on the experience of fishing communities who directly confront these challenges.
“India’s diverse inland fisheries sector, with its varied ecosystems, fishing communities and region-specific challenges, could serve as a model for the FAO to collaborate, pilot region-specific approaches and take the learnings to wider geographies. The experiences of fishing communities across the country could help shape context-specific approaches to sustainable fisheries management and livelihood development, offering valuable lessons for wider application,” he said.
The proposed plan covers fisheries in rivers, canals, reservoirs, lakes, floodplain wetlands, tanks and cold-water systems.
“The development phase is expected to address issues relating to fishing rights and resource management, employment and decent work, gender equality, value chains and post-harvest trade, as well as disaster risks and climate change,” said Dr P Krishnan, director of BOBP-IGO.
The plan will be finalised through stakeholder consultations before its public launch next month and subsequent implementation, it was stated. PTI MAS ARU
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