The recent National Workshop organised by NITI Aayog in association with the Andhra Pradesh Government focused on the future of inland fisheries in India. During the course of two days, representatives from the various states met to deliberate on sustainability factors including logistics and infrastructure, export competitiveness, livelihood issues, and policy challenges within the inland fishing sector.
Minister of Union Parshottam Rupala emphasised that traditional fishermen have to receive active guidance and skill development to improve their ability to compete in a modern market. He also advocated that every Amrit Sarovar be set up and connected to each other to create an inland fishery.
While Prof.Ramesh Chand, NITI Aayog, applauded the success of the fisheries sector in Andhra Pradesh and the necessity of equalising regional differences in productivity and output.
Technical sessions at the workshop focused on topics such as “Sustainability in Inland Fisheries. The agenda included seminars on “FFPOs/Cooperatives-Led Development Models” and “Issues and Challenges in the Inland Fisheries Industry in India.” Such sessions enabled dialogue among policymakers, industry players, and fisheries startups, with the ultimate goal of crafting practical recommendations and formulating future growth strategies for the sector.
The event ended with the determination of future steps and the creation of new contacts that are expected to serve as support for drawing powerful growth opportunities in the sector.
The interim budget for the financial year 2024–25 stands at a 15% increment for the Department of Fisheries, which is placed at Rs 2,584.5 crore. Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister, pointed to the advent of the Fisheries Department as a reason behind the 2-fold increase in both inland and aquaculture production and also sea food exports since 2013–14.
