Karnataka govt. framing policy to promote inland fisheries: Pramod Madhwaraj

The State government is in the process of framing a policy for the promotion of inland fisheries. It will be a pro-farmer policy, Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister of State for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports, said here on Monday.

Addressing a gathering at the National Fish Farmers’ Day at the College of Fisheries, the minister said that the policy will be aimed at removing middlemen and arranging direct marketing link for the produces of inland fish farmers.

The policy would lay stress on increasing fish production by at least 10 times though there is scope for increasing the production by 100 times. The lakes and other inland water sources should be exploited for increasing the production, he said.

Around 5.73 lakh hectares of inland water bodies were available in the State for the promotion of inland fisheries, Mr. Madhwaraj said.

Asking Fisheries Department officials to encourage aquaculture he said that the officials were citing the rules pertaining to coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) as hindrance for promoting it in the coastal districts in the State. “But I don’t agree with you. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha are far ahead in aquaculture when compared to Karnataka. Why are CRZ rules not an issue in those states?,” the minister questioned, adding that there was ample scope for aquaculture promotion in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada.

Stating that the fisheries sector in the State was facing a peculiar situation, the minister said that on the one side marine fisheries was over exploited and on the other side inland fisheries was under exploited. “We have not used even one per cent of the potential of inland fisheries in the State,” he said.

Mr. Madhwaraj said that the State was producing 60 crore fingerlings against the demand for 90 crore fingerlings per annum. Steps were being taken to increase fish seed production.

The minister released a book on fisheries on the occasion.

M.N. Venugopal, dean, College of Fisheries and Shivakumar Magada, head, Krishi Vignana Kendra, Mangaluru spoke.