Bhubaneswar: Odisha has recorded an impressive 747 percent growth in brackish water aquaculture in the last ten years with a concomitant increase in the value of seafood exports from the State.
This was known from a high-level meeting held on digital mode under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra from Lokseba Bhawan wherein Principal Secretary Revenue and Disaster Management Bishnupada Sethi outlined the existing land leasing provisions for commercial brackish aquaculture in the State.
Reviewing the progress made so far, Chief Secretary directed the departments of Revenue and Disaster Management, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Forest and Environment department and IDCO to work out a dynamic and facilitating policy for taping the available potential of brackishwater aquaculture in the State.
IDCO was directed to identify the potential land in different districts and develop a land bank for the purpose in close coordination with fishery officers and respective collectors. Mahapatra also directed IDCO to identify land in clusters and develop the facilities like saline water drainage, road and power connectivity for building aquaculture parks. The officers of the Fisheries and Animal Resource Development operating at different levels were asked to drive the programme in proactive manner.
Secretary Fisheries and Animal Resource Development R. Raghu Prasad said that there was significant growth in the sector over last 10 years because of the constant persuasion and facilitation. The production of brackish water fish increased from 11,460 MT in the year 2011-12 to 97,125 MT in the year 2020-21 thereby marking a record growth of 747.51 percent. Similarly, the area under brackish water aquaculture also increased from 5860 hect to 17,780 hect during the same period.
Concomitantly, the sea food export value from Odisha also increased from Rs. 801 cr in the year 2011-12 to Rs 3107 cr in the year 2020-21 in spite of the economic slowdown caused by Covid-19. The quantum of export in the year 2011-12 was around 21,311 MT which increased to 60,718 MT in the year 2020-21.