‘Step up fish production to ameliorate farmers’ economic lot,” says Parimal Suklabaidya to FDOs

June 14: Minister for Environment and Forest, Fisheries and Excise, Parimal Suklabaidya asked the District Fisheries Development Officer and Fishery Development Officers (FDOs) of Darrang district to expedite the implementation of schemes meant to ameliorate the lot of the fish farmers.

Reviewing the different Central and State schemes at the conference hall of Orang National Park, Minister Suklabaidya directed the FDOs to expedite the construction of rearing ponds, finfish hatchery, integrated fish farming, community ponds and livelihood support schemes under PMMSY to augment the production of fish and the income of farmers. “We have to increase fish production and the income of fish farmers through the various schemes meant for their welfare,” he quipped.

Suklabaidya said the state will have to step up fish production through blue revolution to become self sufficient and to put a halt to fish imported from other parts of the country. He said the state is blessed with innumerable ponds, wetlands and water bodies and fish of different varieties can be reared and bred. “The state has vast water resources potential and this must be harnessed scientifically to the optimum level to attain self sufficiency on the fish production front,” he added.

The Minister also told the FDOs to see to it that no fish is caught during the breeding season and action should be taken against the offenders. The meeting was attended by Director, Fisheries, Nirmal Kanti Debnath, MLA, Ganesh Limbu, former MLA, Gurujyoti Das, among others.