ITANAGAR, 5 Jan: Fisheries Minister Gabriel Denwang Wangsu on Monday called for a special policy for hill and border states to promote cold-water fisheries, strengthen infrastructure, and improve the livelihoods of rural fishermen.
Addressing the 12th governing body meeting of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in Hyderabad, Wangsu supported a proposal to bring Mission Amrit Sarovar under fisheries activities for fish farming, an official communiqué stated.
He said convergence of fisheries programmes with the mission would help boost inland fish production and generate additional income opportunities for rural communities.
The minister also placed several key proposals before the
NFDB governing body, including special relaxations under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for hill and border states, such as higher unit costs, flexible norms and cluster-based implementation.
He emphasised the need to strengthen seed security through expansion of carp and trout hatcheries, brood banks, local feed production units, and development of farming clusters.
Wangsu further stressed conservation and sustainable use of indigenous fish species through hatcheries, river ranching and stock enhancement programmes.
He also highlighted the importance of developing value-chain and post-harvest infrastructure, including mini-feed mills, mobile ice plants, cold storages, insulated transport and value-addition units.
The minister proposed resource mapping and digitisation using geo-spatial technologies, and suggested setting up a regional centre of NFDB in Arunachal Pradesh, with full logistical support from the state government.
Earlier, union Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, who chaired the meeting, reviewed the progress of fisheries and aquaculture development across the country.
He directed states and union territories to ensure optimal and timely utilisation of sanctioned funds and early completion of ongoing projects, especially under the PMMSY.
The meeting was attended by ministers of state for animal husbandry and fisheries, fisheries ministers from several states, senior officials from states and union territories, and members of the NFDB governing body. (PTI)
