SHILLONG: The Centre’s ‘Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries’ scheme will be launched in the state on October 26.
Fisheries Minister Comingone Ymbon said the Rs 51-crore central aid as well as the Meghalaya Aquaculture Mission would help the state become self-sufficient.
Meghalaya has already received the first tranche of Rs 25 crore from the Centre.
The Blue Revolution is being implemented to achieve economic prosperity of fishermen and fish farmers and contribute towards food and nutritional security through optimum utilisation of water resources in a sustainable manner keeping in view the bio-security and environmental concerns.
Ymbon said Meghalaya had been producing only 4,000 metric tonnes (MT) of fish till 2012 but after the implementation of the Aquaculture Mission, production has increased but a shortfall of 15,000 MT remains.
Under the Blue Revolution, the government will develop new ponds on another 1,000 hectares of land, feed mills and retail outlets since many people do not know the places where they can get local fishes.
On marketing of local fishes, Ymbon said fish farmers get good price in their villages and hence don’t want to come to Shillong.
The Centre, under Blue Revolution, has targeted to enhance fish production from 107.95 lakh tonnes in 2015-16 to about 150 lakh tonnes by the end of the financial year 2019-20. It is also expected to augment the export earnings with a focus on increased benefit flow to fishermen and fish farmers to attain the target of doubling their income.