November 5, 2007

India to tap potential of inland fish production

With 6.57 million metric tonnes of fish produce every year, India is bent on exhausting more possibilities and outdoing Japan in inland sector fish production. 

One area the country is looking at is the inland sector, which has been growing at 6 percent a year.

The inland sector accounts for 55 percent of the total fish production.

India has water resources of 29,000 km of rivers, 3.15 million hectares of reservoirs, 2.35 million hectares of ponds and tanks and 200,000 hectares of floodplain wetlands, according to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

It also has 2,200 species of fish and shellfish in the marine and inland waters.

S Ayyapan of the Indian Council said rivers are sources of precious germplasm and breeding ground for a host of fish species.

The reservoirs and floodplain lakes of the country offer an opportunity for enhancing fish production.

However, recognizing India's vast availability of resources is not enough. Ayappan suggests community intervention in resource management and enhancement.

The fact that carps can contribute to as much as 87 percent of total aquaculture production is due to the fact that varied techniques, from traditional to scientific had been used to tap this resource, he added.