Thousands of fish farmers attend function at Polo
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Government is determined to make the State Aquaculture Mission a people’s movement.
While calling upon the people of the State to actively participate in this proposed programme of the State Government, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma emphasized that the Government wants people to own and participate in the Aquaculture Mission so that it works to their benefit.
The Chief Minister said this while formally launching and releasing the mission document of the State Aquaculture Mission at a grand function attended by over five thousand farmers from across the State here on Monday.
Dr Sangma said the project proposes to cover around 1 lakh fish farmers in the coming five years (2012-2017) adding that around 20,000 farmers would be covered in a single year.
According to the Chief Minister, the Government has allocated a total amount of Rs 1200 crore through the State Plan for this ambitious programme during the 12th Five Year Plan.
While stating that the State has enormous potential for fish production, Dr Mukul said that the demand of fish in the State annually is around 15,000 metric tonnes while the internal generation is only about 5000 metric tonnes. He said the huge quantum of fish required by the State is being imported from outside, especially from Andhra Pradesh.
“Through this aquaculture mission the Government intends to make the State self sufficient in fish production in the next few years ,” he said.
While admitting that it is a big challenge for the Government to achieve this objective, the Chief Minister however expressed his optimism that the active participation of the fish farmers combined with the efforts of the Fisheries department would transform Meghalaya into a State which is self sufficient in fish production.
Stating that the Mission would lay emphasis on capacity building of the fish farmers, the Chief Minister said that experts would equip the fish farmers with all latest technology in fish production, including the ability to recognize when fish are diseased and require treatment.
Dr Sangma called upon young educated youth to be part and parcel of this venture of the Government.
“The educated youth can become entrepreneurs in marketing the fish produced in the State. Marketing is an important component since the fish farmers should be able to sell their fish after producing it,” the Chief Minister said.
He also informed that the Government is looking at the possibility of developing its own nurseries for producing fingerlings which would be distributed to the farmers.
“We have to create our bank of fingerlings. We cannot afford to continue to be dependent for fingerlings from outside,” Dr Mukul said.
The Chief Minister reiterated the need to tap renewable resources and draw the line on the exploiting non-renewable resources since continued exploitation of the latter would destroy even the renewable resources such as rivers and catchments.
‘Personally, I feel that continuous mining of non-renewable resources is bad for the State. Besides destroying the environment, we also leave a ravaged environment for our future generation. If we continue to mine all the natural resources then nothing would be left for the future,” Dr Sangma said.
He urged the people to focus on those resources which would bring maximum benefit to themselves and which are environmentally sustainable, adding that the Aquaculture Mission is one such venture of the Government which will not only generate income for the people but is also environment friendly.
While informing that the Aquaculture Mission is one of the Missions under the State flagship programme – Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Programmes, Dr Mukul said there are nine other Missions under the State flagship programme which include weaving and sericulture, apiculture, livestock, energy and water mission.