J and K plans to boost fish production in the State

Srinagar, Aug 8 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir Fisheries Department has decided to encourage the youth to set up fish farms in the state.

Director Fisheries T Angchook said efforts are being made to further boost the fish production in the State.

He said the fisheries department is ready to provide infrastructural support to unemployed youth who are interested to set up their own fish farms.

Mr Angchook said the fisheries department will provide Rs 1.20 lakh to each beneficiary for setting up their income generating unit under the Prime Minister's package.

He said more than 14,000 people are engaged in fish trade in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Angchook said the Department has set up a long-term perspective plan for the development of fisheries in the State.

He said five-year and annual plans have been submitted to the Government with defined strategies for the development of cold water fisheries, propagation of fish culture in private sector and revival of endemic fishes like schizothorax, mahaseer fisheries, recreational fisheries and also providing marketing facilities.

The department has, however, completed mega projects of trout fish farming project at Kokernag, two national fish seed farms at Kathua and Manasbal and the aquarium-cum-awareness centre at Bahu Fort, Jammu.

Besides this, 28 trout rearing units and 18 other fish farms where form quality fish seed is stocked into various water bodies including fish ponds of private fish farms in all the districts, he added.

Earlier, Public Accounts Committee of Legislative Assembly has stressed the need for improving the functioning of Fisheries Department.

The Committee has asked the department to explore possibilities to provide more and more benefits to the unemployed youth for the setting up of their income generating units under fisheries development programme.

The PAC which met here today under the chairmanship of Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) Mian Altaf Ahmed reviewed the overall functioning of Fisheries Department and held threadbare discussion on CAG's report for the years 2000-01 to 2004-05 pertaining to Fisheries Department.

The Committee also directed the Department to encourage the trout fish production after identifying such sources at various places in the State.

To give further boost to fish production the committee directed the department to upgrade its hatcheries.

Among others, the meeting was attended by legislators Mohammad Sartaj Madni, Mula Ram, Bilal Lodhi, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Mohammad Aslam, Yogesh Sawhney, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Forests and Fisheries Atal Dulloo.

UNI