The union government’s Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and National Fisheries Development Board, is celebrating ‘World Fisheries Day’ on 21 November.

The event will be celebrated at Swami Vivekanand Auditorium, Daman.

During the event, the Government of India will award the best performing states/districts for during past three years 2019-20 to 2021-22.

They will be awarded for Inland, Marine, Hilly& North-eastern region, best district for Inland, Marine, Hilly & North-eastern region, Best Quasi Government Organization/ Federation/ Corporation/ Board in Inland, Marine, Hilly& North-eastern region.

Besides, there will be award felicitations to the best Fish Farmer (Inland, Marine, and Hilly & NE Region), best Hatchery (Fish, shrimp, and Trout Hatchery), best Fisheries Enterprises, best Fisheries Co-operative societies/FPOs/SHGs, best Individual Entrepreneurs, best Innovation idea/Technology Infusion.

During the event, the launching of the Video Song on Sagar Parikrama – Gujarati Version, SSS: India @ 75 – “100 Super Success Stories from Indian Fisheries”, posters and other publications shall be released.

Technical sessions will be followed by Scientists from ICAR- CIFE on new technology infusions, their prospects and problems high intensive aquaculture system, open sea cage culture by ICAR- CMFRI, and shrimp culture status and export & domestic market opportunities by MPEDA, and sessions by Invest India on the scope of investment in Fisheries sector in India.

The government of India is at the forefront of transforming the fisheries sector and bringing about sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture and economic revolution through the Blue Revolution in the country, stated the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.

The sector envisioned increasing the farmers’ income through intensifying and expanding aquaculture, improving fisheries management, and innovating fisheries and aquaculture improving the quality and reduction of waste.

Foreseeing the potential of the sector, the Prime Minister in May 2020 had launched the “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with a budget of over Rs. 20,050 crores for a period of five years.”

PMMSY aims to achieve fish production of 22 MMT from the current 13.76 MMT by 2024-25 and to create an additional employment opportunity for about 55 lakh manpower through this sector and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) scheme which was started in 2018-19 with a budget of Rs. 7,522.48 crores.

FIDF will specifically cater to the creation of fisheries infrastructure facilities both in marine and inland fisheries sectors to augment the fish production to achieve the target.

Projects under the FIDF are eligible for loans up to 80% of the estimated/actual project cost with interest subvention upto 3% as financial assistance. The event shall create awareness of the importance of healthy ocean ecosystems and sustainable fisheries.