By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Principal Secretary of the Fisheries department, KN Kumar, on Monday said there is a huge demand and supply gap in the production of fishes in the State.
Kumar made the assertion while addressing the gathering at the launch of an exclusive website of the Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission (MSAM) here in the city.
The official informed that a normal human being must consume at least 11 kg of fish in a year and going by the population of the State (30 lakh), the average demand for the State would come to around 33000 metric tonnes while the State is producing an average of 5000-6000 metric tonnes of fishes in a year.
According to Kumar, with the Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission, the State would target to produce at least 20000 metric tonnes of fishes from the fifth year of the mission.
The department so far has received 39466 applications for area expansion out of which 8250 applications were found to be feasible and the District Aquaculture Mission Committee has recommended 5858 of those applications, he said, while adding that 1100 farmers from the State have been provided with training in the National Institute of Rural Development for the purpose.
Later, Chief Secretary WMS Pariat officially launched the website of the Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission in the presence of senior officials from the Fisheries department.
Speaking on the occasion, Pariat said the website has been launched with an aim to provide comprehensive information about the Mission.
He also directed the department to constantly monitor and update the contents of the website so that it can serve its stated purpose of providing accurate and prompt information to the public.
The main features of the portal include background, objectives, photo gallery, important contact numbers, FAQs, news section and others information about the State Aquaculture Mission and its six mini missions.
The website, which is hosted by the NIC, provides link to country and state portals.
It may be mentioned that the Aquaculture Mission is part of the flagship programmes of the State government and the Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Programme.
The Aquaculture Mission is operated with an objective to develop the existing water bodies and creation of additional water area for large scale fish production including reclamation, rehabilitation of marshy and swampy lands, and conservation of native endangered and traditional species of Meghalaya and developing breeding farms of commercially potential species on a large scale fisheries sector.