Bhubaneswar, Oct. 14: The state has set for itself an ambitious target of exporting seafood worth Rs 20,000 crore in the next five years and plans to enhance per capita annual fish consumption from 11.06kg to 15kg by 2020.
Inaugurating a workshop called "Growth and Export Potentials of Marine Product" here, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said: "We have an ambitious plan to accelerate the export of seafood from Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore. The state government will facilitate infrastructure development, improvement of fishing habours and fish landing centres, provision of electricity, air cargo facility for live and chilled fish to boost exports."
The chief minister said the state would increase the fish production by introducing new technologies in the sector.
"We have signed a memorandum of agreement with the World Fish, an international organisation, and aim to bring in comprehensive development in the field," he said.
Naveen added: "The collaboration will introduce genetically improved farmed tilapia fish and promotion of small and indigenous fish production. It will also give a boost to the scientific culture, introduction of new species and promote learning as well as good management practice."
At present, the state has 32,000 hectares of brackish water resources out of which only 9,000 hectares are under pisciculture. The Vannamei shrimp (a variety of prawn) culture has now spread to 5,000 hectares, which would like to increase substantially in coming years.
In a bid to give a boost to the export of seafood, secretary of fisheries and animal husbandry Bishnupada Sethi said: "Odisha is the first state to have started an export promotion cell in the directorate of fisheries and is also providing subsidy on seeds of for promotion of L. Vennamei aquaculture, a new kind of shrimp culture."
The secretary said that Airports Authority of India (AAI) had agreed to provide cargo facility at the Biju Patnaik International Airport to facilitate export of live fish. "Shipment facility has also been created at Paradip port for seafood exports," said Sethi, adding that due attention would be paid to culture of other exportable species like sea bass, tilapia, crab and pangasius.
Chairman of Odisha Skills Development Authority Subroto Bagchi said: "There is a need to set up a fish university to explore new technology and chalk out plans to boost production as well as export exports."
Agriculture minister Pardeep Maharathy, chief secretary Aditya Padhy, chairman of Fishfed T. Prasad Rao Dora also attended the workshop.
