Odisha Fisheries Policy 2015: Impact

Odisha Fisheries Policy 2015: Impact

Question: Odisha Government has recently approved the Odisha Fisheries Policy 2015. This marks the first time an Indian state has developed a special policy for the fisheries sector. Provide an overview of its impact.

Odisha Government approved the Odisha Fisheries Policy 2015 on 13th August 2015

Policy aims at enhancing productivity and production of fish from the following three habitats:

- Islands

- Brackish Water

- Marine Resources

- Policy targets total fish production of 7.15 lakh tonnes at the close of 2019-2020

- The state currently produces 4.13 lakh tonnes of fish

- The Odisha Fisheries Policy 2015 aims to raise inland fish production to around 5.30 lakh tonnes within the next 5 years from the current 2.63 lakh tonnes

- Freshwater fish productivity rise is expected to be from 2.13 tonnes per ha to 2.5 tonnes per ha through extensive farming methods

- Productivity will be raised in semi intensive and intensive systems to 5 and 10 tonnes per ha respectively

- As much as 15000 ha of fresh ponds ad tanks will be developed for freshwater aquaculture in 30 districts of Odisha by 2020

- This will provide direct job creation for 60,000 people in Odisha

- Indirect employment will be created for over 2,00,000 persons

- Brackish water aquaculture clusters with basic infrastructure such as inlet and outlet channels, road connectivity, electricity, ice plants, and cold storages will be encouraged and promoted by the Odisha government.

- Modernisation and shore based infrastructure development of fishing harbour to boost marine fish production according to the policy

- State government of Odisha will also take up continuous stock enhancement programmes for increasing reservoir fish productivity

- Unproductive waterlogged areas and dead rivers will be converted to fish ponds.

- Use of pellet fish need will be coupled with suitable incentives for increasing aquaculture productivity

Facts and Stats

- Odisha is the first state in India to announce a special policy for its fishery sector

- New policy highlights the need for enhancing riverine fisheries via river ranching

- Odisha’s marine fish production is currently between 1.2 to 1.3 lakh tonnes and efforts are on to exploit untapped deep sea fishery resources

- India has a share of 5.43% of the international fish market

- It is the second highest fish producing nation in the world wherein fisheries include 1% of its GDP and 4.75% of agriculture GDP

- Total fish production in the previous fiscal was 9.58 million tonnes

- Top fish producing states of India include AP, WB, TN, Kerala and Gujarat