Challenges facing Indian aquaculture industry discussed

Challenges facing Indian aquaculture industry discussed

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Nov 22, 2011 : Speaking at the 8th symposium on diseases in Asian aquaculture and fish health for food security, a senior official stated that the wide gap between policy makers and researchers is having an adverse effect on various programmes. The event was jointly organized by Fisheries College Mangalore and Asian Fisheries Society (fish health section) on Monday.

Tarun Shridhar, the joint secretary of Ministry of Agriculture (New Delhi) said that this gap is preventing research results from reaching policy makers, which is unfortunate because the research results can be used to frame fisheries and aquaculture policies. Efforts should be made to reduce the gap between scientists and policy makers, he added.

Speaking on Indian aquaculture, he said that it accounts for 52 percent of the total fish production in the country. Unfortunately, modern aquaculture is facing economic loss owing to communicable and non communicable diseases caused by parasites, pathogens, and pollution. The total estimated loss is over Rs. 1000 crore, owing to which fish health management should be given top priority.

Voicing his opinions regarding the poor productivity in aquaculture in India, he said that a fish farmer produces 2.4 tons in India while in Norway and other Western countries, fish farmers produce 72 tons and 18 – 24 tons, respectively.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. A. E. Eknath, the DG of Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) spoke of the need to discard age old practices in aquaculture in favor of new ones.

Delivering the presidential address, Prof. Suresh S. Honnappagol, the vice chancellor of Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, said that fish has replaced red meat to a great extent in recent years, owing to which those in the aquaculture industry are responsible for the production of safe food for consumers.

 

Commenting on the rising popularity of aquaculture in India, he said that KVAFSU will introduce a 2-month intensive course for graduates in toxicology and pharmacology, comprising 70 oral and 200 poster presentations.

 

 

Speaking on the sidelines of the programme, Tarun Shridhar said that fish catch is not dwindling in India, unlike in the rest of the world, because the Indian Ocean still rich in fish. Revealing that the fish catch in India is 3 million ton, with mackerels and sardines dominating the catch, he said that the shark and tuna catch must improve

Stating that India is exporting aquaculture products worth Rs. 2.8 million, he said that no country has rejected Indian aquaculture products during the past one year.

He also said that a committee has been formed to create short-term and long-term policies for fisheries. Fishermen should be encouraged to do deep-sea fishing, he added.