Bengal is firmly on course to meet its fish production target of 18.5 lakh tonnes this year, says Fisheries Minister Chandra Nath Sinha at first-ever CII Fisheries Conclave

“We have set a fish production target of 18.5 lakh metric tonnes this year. Last year we produced about 17.4 lakh metric tonnes. Now with demand for fishes growing, we are raising our target. We are confident that the target we have set this year will be met,” Sinha told a large assembly of stakeholders at the first-ever Fisheries Conclave organised by CII here on Tuesday. 

Notably, West Bengal had a deficit of 0.6 lakh tonnes while it exported 1.7 lakh tonnes of fish to others states and overseas.

However, shrimp exports from the state were to the tune of 70,000 tonnes, earning about Rs 8,000 crore a year, Sinha said, adding that shrimp farming utilises only 15 per cent of brackish-water resource of the state.

On the state’s potential in aquafarming, the Minister said, “Our state is home to numerous water bodies, which is about 8-10 times of the leading fish-producing states such as Andhra Pradesh. Bengal is the only state which has a separate policy for the fisheries sector. The focus of our government is to maximise fish production through technologies, adding water bodies under aquafarming, scientific feeding and improved managerial practices,” Sinha said, adding that shareholders of water bodies need to utilise the resources for fish farming. “It is economically lucrative,” he said. The Minister also urged insurers to include aqua farming in its scheme of things.

Dr Ravi Inder Singh, Principal Secretary, West Bengal Fisheries Department said Bengal’s share of the country's fish seed production is  around 40 per cent. “It is growing exponentially,” Singh said.

He also lauded CII for organsing the Fisheries Meet, saying, “This is first time that a conference dedicated to fisheries is being organized here. I am sure the Conclave will help guide the Government in creating a roadmap for the development of a robust fisheries sector in the State” .

“All we need is an enabling environment – which means a strong focus on research, creation of a wider export network and retail market, fish lending centres and cold chains. We must also stop misusing antibiotics,” Mr Sinha added.

He urged CII to submit recommendations as to how the sector can be made stronger in the state. “Your inputs will be valuable for the state government,” Singh said

Soumyajit Das, Managing Director, State Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd, West Bengal; said, maximization of production is the priority for the State Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd. “We are in the process of delivering new species to fish farmers. Efforts are under way to develop an online cold chain market and,  bring about a change in packaging,” Das said.

Subrata Mukherjee, Director, Directorate of Fisheries, Government of West Bengal, listed a few schemes which are designed to enhance production. “We are regularly organsing awareness programmes for fish farmers on the dangers of misuse of antibiotics,” he said.

According to Seafood Exporters Association of India’s West Bengal Region President, Rajarshi Banerji, small land holding, high electricity tariff and expensive lease-rent structure are the major bottlenecks in the expansion of shrimp production in the state and these are adding cost to the production.

He said, the cost of shrimp production in West Bengal was Rs 220-240 a kg while the same in Andhra Pradesh was Rs 180 a kg. "The margin of our shrimp cultivators and exporters get squeezed substantially, when the prices fall in the international market," Mr Banerji said.

Amit Saraogi, Chairman, CII Eastern Region Agriculture & Food Processing Subcommittee & Managing Director, Anmol Feeds Pvt Ltd, said, “Fisheries in India is one of the most promising economic activities, and the role of fish farmers is changing, making them an integral part of the food chain. West Bengal is one of the highest consumers of fish.

A K Banerjee, Co-Chairman, CII Eastern Region Agriculture & Food Processing Subcommittee & Vice Chairman & Managing Director, IFB Agro Industries Limited; said Bengal can play a pivotal role in fisheries business promotion in the seven fish-loving northeastern and three eastern States.