Prof S P Singh Baghel, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
visits Kerala to review activities of the fisheries institutes
‘A sum of Rs. 1148.88 cr released under PMMSY’
‘Targets to achieve 22 million tonne fish production by 2024-25’
‘Over 3 lakh Kisan Credit Cards issued’
Kochi: Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Prof S P Singh Baghel has
said that the Centre is committed to improving the country’s fisheries sector, highlighting that boosting
fish production, enhancing the livelihood of fishers and farming communities, and modernisation of
infrastructure are government’s key priorities.
He was speaking at an interactive meeting held at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
(CMFRI) on Sunday during his visit to Kerala to review the activities of the central fisheries institutes in
the state. The Minister also visited the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training
(CIFNET).
The Minister said that the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme provides subsidies
and financial assistance for various activities such as fish hatcheries, fish processing units, and the
introduction of modern fishing technologies. “A sum of Rs. 1148.88 crore has been released to support
the country’s fisheries sector under this scheme. India’s fish production is targeted to reach 22 million
tonnes by 2024-25”, he said.
Over 3 lakh Kisan Credit Cards
Facilitating investments in the sector, the government issued 301,309 Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) to
fishermen and fish farmers until March 2024, the Union Fisheries Minister said. “These KCCs come with
a sanctioned credit of Rs. 2121.29 crore, enabling fishers to invest in necessary equipment, boats, and
modern aquaculture facilities. This has led to increased productivity and improved incomes for the
fishing community”, he added.
Mariculture
“Mariculture is an important emerging subsector of the Blue Economy. Sea cage farming of finfishes,
seaweed farming and Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA) Systems can help the fish farming
community improve their livelihood. In addition, entrepreneurial ventures in farming and seed
production areas offer promising prospects”, Minister Baghel said.
Infrastructure
Referring to the government’s commitment to improving the infrastructure in the sector, the Union
Minister said that the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FAIDF) supports the
creation of modern infrastructure facilities, including state-of-the-art fish landing centres, cold storage
facilities and fish processing units, benefitting approximately 3.3 lakh fishermen. “This has helped
reduce post-harvest losses and ensure the quality and availability of fish in the market”, he said.
Union Minister Baghel applauded the CMFRI for its crucial role in advancing the marine fisheries sector
through groundbreaking research on marine biodiversity and sustainable marine fisheries. CMFRI’s
community-oriented initiatives helped empower the local fishing communities and promote sustainable
practices in the sector.
The Minister released CMFRI’s specially formulated fish feed ‘Silver grow’ for use in the cage farming of
silver pompano fish, and nutraceutical products for use against hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy.
He inaugurated the newly established molecular taxonomy laboratory of the institute to characterise
the marine biodiversity at the species and sub-species level.
CMFRI Director Dr Grinson George; Directors of the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) and
National Institute of Fisheries Post Harvest Technology and Training (NIFPHATT); Zonal Director of
Fishery Survey of India (FSI); and officials from the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering
Training (CIFNET) the State Fisheries Department and Animal Husbandry Department attended the
meeting.