Government favours PPP mode to boost fisheries, aquaculture

MUZAFFARNAGAR: Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today pitched for public-private-partnership (PPP) to promote fisheries and aquaculture.

"There is a huge potential in the fisheries sector. To boost fisheries and aquaculture, there is a need to work through PPP mode. This will not only help in increasing production but also create job opportunities," Singh said while addressing an event here.

India is the world's top producer of inland aquaculture, but the country still needs to progress in the area of ornamental fishes and other varieties, he said.

"India is known for having more than 325 ornamental fish species but we hardly have a share of one per cent in the global market in this space," he said, adding that women can be trained to take up ornamental fishing as a vocation.

Stating that addressing food security and malnutrition is a big problem in the country, Singh said that besides fish, there is a need to boost farm and dairy production to meet the rising food demand of growing population.

Even as total fish production is around 10 million tonnes, "there is huge gap in the output as compared to China. The per capita availability of fish is only 9.2 kgs. There is a need to increase the availability," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is focusing on bringing 'Blue revolution' to boost fish production so as to address the problem of hunger and malnutrition in the country, he added.