Bhubaneswar: Fisheries and animal resources development minister Gokulananda Mallik here on Thursday said the govt aims to transform Odisha into eastern India’s hub for marine fish production and shrimp exports. He was speaking on the sidelines of a state-level stakeholders’ consultation workshop on ‘Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission’ and ‘Odisha Shrimp Mission’. He stated that Odisha will be developed as a major centre of the blue economy.Through the ‘Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission’, fishery resources in the deep and distant waters of the Bay of Bengal will be tapped. This is expected to generate an additional 2 lakh metric tonnes of marine fishes annually and create more than 50,000 employment opportunities. Fisherfolk incomes are projected to rise by two to three times, Mallik added. He elaborated that by 2036, annual marine export earnings were expected to reach Rs 5,000 crore. “Over the next five years, the targets include building 150 new deep-sea vessels, modernising 500 mechanised boats, upgrading fishing harbours such as Paradip, Dhamra, Chandipur and Astaranga to global standards, and improving infrastructure at 103 fish landing centres,” said the minister at the workshop. Mallik further said the ‘Odisha Shrimp Mission’ will play a transformative role in the blue economy landscape. Under this initiative, super-intensive shrimp farming methods will be promoted to achieve annual production of 30 to 40 metric tonnes per hectare, along with the development of shrimp hatcheries, feed mills and supporting infrastructure. The goal is to make Odisha India’s leading shrimp-producing and shrimp-exporting state, he added. An MoU was signed between the fisheries and animal resources development department and ICAR-CIBA to promote sustainable aquaculture through responsible aquaculture zone planning and geospatial mapping. Department secretary Prem Chandra Chaudhary gave a detailed presentation on the vision of both missions. Five sessions were held, with stakeholders from across the country attending and sharing constructive suggestions.
