Additional Director of Fisheries (Inland) Dinesh Kumar H. Kaller said here on Sunday that the State Government has aimed at increasing the inland fish production from 2.51 lakh tonnes to six lakh tonnes by March 2022.
Speaking at the World Fisheries Day programme organised by the College of Fisheries at Yekkur, he said that the marine fish production was now at 3.47 lakh tonnes.
The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana has various programmes to boost the fisheries sector, he said.
Delivering the keynote address, Iddya Karunasagar, a fisheries microbiologist, said that overexploitation of marine wealth and inland fish found in natural environment should be stopped. As food, fish played a pivotal role in contributing to nutrition.
Deputy Inspector-General and Commander, Indian Coast Guard, Karnataka, S.B. Venkatesh said that the fisheries sector employed about 120 million people. Fish production has to be increased through a collective effort but it should be a sustainable effort. The Coast Guard has rescued 210 fishermen who were in distress in sea so far this year, he said.
Director, National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, R. Ramesh and Professor and Dean of the college A. Senthil Vel spoke.
