Scientists and aquaculture farmers attending a consultative meeting to draw up a plan for increasing inland fish production, including aquaculture, have suggested a comprehensive approach involving various stakeholders and government departments to address issues confronting the sector.
“There are serious problems facing aquaculture in the State. All departments concerned should join hands and take people into confidence to increase inland fish production,” said P. Sahadevan, retired Additional Director of Fisheries, speaking at the consultative meeting organised jointly by Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) here on Monday.
Formerly a senior official of the Indian Council for Historical Research and now a full-time farmer since 2003, P.K.V. Kaimal said there was severe restriction on shrimp farming in pokkali fields.
Dr. Sahadevan said the current level of inland fish production, including from aquaculture, stood around two lakh tonnes a year, worth around ₹5,100 crore. The production has to be increased by at least another four lakhtonnes per yearto meet the nutritional needs and annual per capita fish consumption.
Kerala’a annual per capita fish consumption used to be 25 kg in 2011. Ten years later, the volume has come down to 19 kg per head per year. To reach a level of 30 kg per head per year, fish production, including wild catch, has to reach a level of 10 lakh tonnes a year, he added.
He also pointed out that the pokkali rice fields had great aquaculture potential. However, only about 3,000 hectares of the 13,000 available in the districts of Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kannur were being utilised now. But he pointed out that there should be a balance between rice and fish cultivation, with government support for rice cultivation, which was not bringing remunerative prices to the farmers.
Kufos sources said Kerala had substantial inland water areas comprising rivers, fresh water lakes, brackish water bodies, and reservoirs that could be utilised for fish production.
Inland fisheries provide around 50,000 jobs directly and around 2.5 lakh people depend on it through auxiliary sectors. There are also around a lakh aquaculturists who are engaged in shrimp, mussels, and fish farming.
