Haryana steps up fisheries promotion drive

Chandigarh, Sep 29 (UNI) The Haryana Fisheries department has fixed a target to harvest 68,000 metric tonnes of fish by the end of the current financial year.

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha said today fish productivity would be raised from 5048 to 5200 kgs per hectare per year. Similarly, water area under fish culture would be raised from 13,000 hectare to over 14,300 hectare by the end of 2008-09.

He said efforts would be made for the diversification of traditional carp fish culture to high valued fish species such as Magur, Sol, Singhara, Ornamental Fish and Prawn. Efforts would also be made for greater people participation and generation of employment opportunities for 20,000 families.

Fish Culture would be promoted in a big way in the state as it was more remunerative and profitable to the farmers, he added.

He said the department had been planned to stock 3630 lakh fish seed and to produce 68,000 tonnes fish during the year. It was also envisaged to provide technical and financial assistance to 14,300 families.

He further said an area of 12,883 hectares had been brought under fish culture against the target of 13,000 hectares. Likewise 3311 lakh fish seed was stocked against the target of 3300 lakh and 67,236 tonnes fish was produced against the target of 61,000 tonnes during the year 2007-08.

As many as 1073 Scheduled Castes families were provided technical and financial assistance for fisheries promotion against the target of 1000 families during the last fiscal year.

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